The President of Missouri Western tells the legislature that further budget cuts would dramatically impact university programs and services. Dr. Robert Vartabedian told the House Committee on Appropriations-Education that the Governor’s recommended 12-and-a-half percent cut would reduce state funding to Western by $2.9-million.

Vartabedian says unless the cut is decreased significantly, Western would be able to fill only a very small number of about 30 position openings. Because of previous cuts, Vartabedian says the use of adjunct faculty has already increased by 25 percent over three years, and will continue to grow.

State funding has dropped from 62 percent of Western’s budget in the year 2000 to less than 38 percent if the Governor’s cuts stand. Despite the cuts, Vartabedian testified that Western’s average tuition is still the third lowest among Missouri’s public universities.