Governor Brownback implements 3 percent cut to Regents universities

Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday afternoon, Governor Sam Brownback announced a 3 percent cut to Kansas Board of Regents universities, totaling $17 million for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. For the University of Kansas, this reduction amounts to $7.18 million across all our campuses — $3.95 million for KU Lawrence, and $3.23 million for KU Medical Center.

The State of Kansas has been experiencing revenue challenges for several months. Thus, yesterday’s cut was not entirely unexpected. Many of our unit heads and budget managers have been making prudent decisions over the past year in view of a possible reduction. But even so, a $7.18 million cut presents significant challenges and will require difficult decisions moving forward. We will all need to work together to manage this reduction while continuing to fulfill our mission.

We continue to work closely with the Governor’s Office, the Regents and state legislators. We will keep you posted as we learn more.

For now, the best thing you can do to support KU is to continue educating students, serving Kansans and conducting world-class research. Your efforts are the most powerful endorsement of our university and the most compelling message we can send to lawmakers as they make funding decisions.

Sincerely,

Bernadette Gray-Little
Chancellor