The University of Florida, the state's highest-rated institution of higher education, announced layoffs, reductions in degree programs and a steep cut in undergraduate enrollment as part of a plan to cope with severe budget cuts from the state.
Like all public universities in Florida, UF is in the middle of one of the worst budget crunches in years. The school will cut 400 jobs, which will include eliminating vacant positions and laying off 20 faculty members and 118 staffers.
The school also will reduce undergraduate enrollment by 4,000 students over four years, beginning with a decrease of transfer students by 1,000 next year.
Other public universities across the state are also slashing budgets, shrinking the numbers of seats available for high school graduates wanting to attend public college in Florida.
In Miami-Dade, Florida International University two weeks ago announced looming layoffs and a cost reduction plan similar to UF's.
Florida State University officials say they are determining how to deal with their own $17.5 million cut, but vacant positions at the Tallahassee university already aren't being filled.
UF President Bernie Machen said Monday the cuts presented a unique challenge to the university. He also said more cuts could come toward the end of the year.
''This is a tough time,'' Machem said in an interview Monday evening. ``I don't want people to minimize how difficult what we're doing is.''
UF will reduce or eliminate some degrees and courses and cut back on research funding for the Water Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, the Center for Latin American Studies and others. Each college and administrative unit was ordered to reduce spending by 6 percent, the university said in a news release.
''The timing of today announcement was based on the Legislature's final approval of the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, requiring swift action by the university to reduce spending,'' Machen said in a written statement Monday.
Machen told The Miami Herald he hoped the cuts will be a rallying cry for the Gator Nation, as the school has termed its alumni.
''This is not going to be a fatal blow to us, but we need their support now probably more than we have for some time,'' Machen said. 'We need more than for them to just say, `Hang in there.' ''
Manny Escobio, a class of 1995 alumnus from the school of business who is now a Miami banker, said he was outraged by the budget cuts.
''It's terrible,'' Escobio said.
``It's unfortunate that the Legislature is taking money from the universities and higher education, and at the same time increasing their budgets in places like prisons and other projects.''
Escobio said he is concerned about how the cutbacks will affect UF's national ranking. The school is now the only university in Florida that ranks in U.S. News and World Report's top 50.
Carolyn Roberts, chairwoman of the Board of Governors -- which oversees the state's universities -- said UF has made wise cuts. All state universities are being affected and must cope with tight budgets, she said.
''The reality is they have to live within their means,'' Roberts said. ``There's just no way to do it without making difficult decisions. It's very unfortunate and disappointing to all of us.''
Machen said the cut in enrollment will keep the student-faculty ratio relatively even for the next few years, which is important to maintaining quality.
But the cuts will be felt universitywide.
Areas that face elimination include the Diabetes Research and Training Center, the Center for Drug Discovery and doctoral degrees in philosophy. Locally, the university will eliminate its academic degree programs at the Tropical Research and Education center in Homestead.
Machem expressed frustration with the cuts.
''This is not what I went into administration for,'' Machem said. ``I came to Florida to make this into one of the top 10 public universities, and it's just been my fate to have to deal with this.''
Chris Sanchelima, 20, a UF junior from Miami who is studying industrial engineering, said he has already felt the pinch of budget cuts at the school. Sanchelima works on campus at the Reitz Union Hotel, which is run by the university. The school recently reduced staffing from two employees to one per shift.
One local Gator who is active in the alumni association, Ignacio Abella, reacted stoically.
''We live in tough economic times, and those are decisions that needed to be made,'' Abella said. ``I guess it will be much tougher to get into UF.''
This report was supplemented with material from The Associated Press.
