MESSAGE TO AUGUSTA STATE UNIVERSITY

To ASU students,

As president of the university, I have heard from many students and others concerning the proposed budget scenarios for the University System of Georgia and Augusta State. I share your concern—and I can assure you that Chancellor Erroll Davis does as well.

Chancellor Davis was asked by the joint House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Higher Education to show how the university system could absorb an additional $300 million in reductions in addition to $265 million already identified as reductions in next year's state appropriation. Institutions had only two days to project the reductions. For Augusta State, such reductions would amount to $4.6 million in addition to $3.5 million already expected in budget cuts. Substantial additional reductions would have a huge negative impact on our students, faculty, staff, and community.

At this time, the proposed reductions are in response to the legislature's request for information and do not represent a final, real reduction. I am providing a link to a letter that the chancellor wrote to legislators, which puts the projected cuts into perspective. I sincerely hope that the full impact that such cuts would have on Augusta State and the other 34 institutions in the University System of Georgia are clearly understood.

If you are a citizen of the state of Georgia, you have the right to contact elected officials about any matter that concerns you. If this matter concerns you, please exercise your right as a citizen of this state.

Here is the link to the chancellor's letter and the planning documents the chancellor submitted to the legislators.

A letter from Chancellor Davis: http://www.usg.edu/fiscal_affairs/documents/chancellor_letter.pdf

An executive summary of proposed reductions: http://www.usg.edu/fiscal_affairs/documents/executive_summary.pdf

The overall summary of institutional reductions: http://www.usg.edu/fiscal_affairs/documents/summary_of_reductions.pdf

We will keep you apprised of further developments regarding the proposed budget reductions.

Please feel free to share this information with your families and friends

William A. Bloodworth, Jr., president