By Andy Ostmeyer

aostmeyer@joplinglobe.com

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pittsburg State University President Steve Scott will convene two forums next week on campus to discuss the latest budget cuts for higher education.

Gov. Mark Parkinson this week announced $259 million worth of statewide cuts aimed at trying to balance the budget in light of declining revenues. Those cuts included at least $2 million for higher education.

Scott said Wednesday that he won’t have specific details on the impact of the cuts on PSU until next week.

The forums will be held Thursday, Dec. 3. They are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in Room 107 of Grubbs Hall and for 3:30 p.m. in Room 409 of Russ Hall. Each is expected to last about an hour, according to Ron Womble, PSU spokesman.

This is only the latest in a series of cuts to university funding.

PSU’s total general use budget for fiscal 2009, which ended in June, was $63.6 million. Of that, the state contribution originally was budgeted at $38.9 million, according to figures provided by PSU. Tuition contributed $24.7 million.

The first cut for PSU came in the spring, when the university absorbed a $1.6 million cut in its $38.9 million allocation.

According to Womble, for the current fiscal 2010, the state general fund budget for PSU was reduced to $34.8 million. That was a cut of $4.1 million from the 2009 allocation level. In July, the allocation was reduced by $673,933.

“The governor has treated us as good as he could treat us,” Scott said, “but the fact is, the revenues have not been there.”

Scott, in a statement, also said that Pittsburg State “has already taken aggressive steps to absorb the cuts, including slashing operating budgets, leaving positions unfilled, delaying the purchase of software and equipment, reducing travel and working across the campus to reduce energy costs.”

According to Womble, the university has reduced its salary and wage budgets by $1.2 million. There have not been any layoffs, but some positions remain unfilled or have been restructured. So far, 28 positions have been affected. The university also has reduced its operating budgets by $900,000, added tuition revenue of $1.5 million and used $1.4 million in one-time reserves.

Stimulus money also has helped cushion the blow. For the current fiscal year, PSU had $2.8 million in federal stimulus money available. Of that, nearly $2 million was earmarked for capital projects, including deferred maintenance at Kelce, Yates and Grubbs Halls. The university was allowed to use $793,196 of those funds for operations.

The university used $167,322 to cover a federally mandated increase in student wages, $375,000 for student tuition relief, and 250,874 for academic instructional equipment.