UNC campuses will not be closed in Senate budgetNone of the 17 campuses in the UNC system will be closed in the Senate budget. The prospect of closing one of the schools triggered an outcry from faculty and students. By Lynn Bonnera
The News & Observer
Senate leaders are backing away from the possibility of closing one or more of the UNC system campuses.
“I don’t see that being in the budget,” Senate leader Phil Berger said. Senate leaders continue to look for more ways for campuses to save money, but will not propose closing any campuses in the budget that will cover the next two years.
“For a long time folks have talked about needs for efficiencies in the system,” said Berger, an Eden Republican.
The Senate budget proposal is set to be released in a few weeks.
Sen. Pete Brunstetter, a Senate budget writer, said last month that Senate leaders were considering closing or consolidating one or two UNC system campuses to save money and eliminate overlapping programs. Senate leaders were talking about closing campuses or merging or transferring campuses to the community college system.
The prospect of closing one of the 17-campuses triggered an outcry from UNC faculty and students.
On Tuesday, representatives from the state’s historic black colleges and universities were assured that no UNC campus would be closed. Berger told them legislators would seek to save money in the university system through better coordination among campuses but not by closing a school this year or next.
Gov. Pat McCrory’s budget did not close any campuses, but reduces overall spending by $139 million.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/04/10/2815427/unc-campuses-will-not-be-closed.html
