UCF cuts affect more than 1,000 students

UCF trustees voted Thursday to eliminate four academic programs and suspend a fifth within the next two years to cut spending by more than $4 million a year.

The cuts will lead to 33 faculty and four staff layoffs and affect more than 1,000 students who will have to switch majors or transfer to another school if they can't graduate before their degree programs close.

Officials say the cuts are needed because of anticipated budget deficits at the 50,000-student school within the next two years caused by reductions in state funding.

"It's a true tragedy that these programs have to be cut," said Ida Cook, a trustee and chairman of the faculty senate. "I've been at UCF for 33 years. These are my friends."

About 50 students and faculty demonstrated outside the student union before the vote, many carrying signs calling for cuts in administration rather than in academic programs.

UCF joins the University of Florida and Florida State University in imposing spending cuts resulting in layoffs.

During today's UCF trustees' meeting, more than a dozen protesters held up signs demanding that trustees "re-prioritize" spending to avert academic program cuts.

The four programs eliminated: cardiopulmonary sciences and radialogic sciences in the College of Health and Public Affairs; engineering technology in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; and management information systems in the College of Business Administration.

The university also is suspending the actuarial program. That leaves the door open for it to be revived some day. But faculty and staff connected to the program will still be laid off.

UCF's statistics program, targeted for closure in the initial plan to reduce spending, will be allowed to continue.

The actuarial and statistics programs are in the College of Sciences.

The initial cost-cutting proposal was designed to reduce annual spending by $6 million in large part by trimming 51 jobs.

Officials said local community colleges, including Seminole and Valencia, are interested in picking up some of the closed programs.

Luis Zaragoza can be reached at lzaragoza@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5718. UCF trustees voted Thursday to eliminate four academic programs and suspend a fifth within the next two years to cut spending by more than $4 million a year.

The cuts will lead to 33 faculty and four staff layoffs and affect more than 1,000 students who will have to switch majors or transfer to another school if they can't graduate before their degree programs close.

Officials say the cuts are needed because of anticipated budget deficits at the 50,000-student school within the next two years caused by reductions in state funding.

"It's a true tragedy that these programs have to be cut," said Ida Cook, a trustee and chairman of the faculty senate. "I've been at UCF for 33 years. These are my friends."

About 50 students and faculty demonstrated outside the student union before the vote, many carrying signs calling for cuts in administration rather than in academic programs.

UCF joins the University of Florida and Florida State University in imposing spending cuts resulting in layoffs.

During today's UCF trustees' meeting, more than a dozen protesters held up signs demanding that trustees "re-prioritize" spending to avert academic program cuts.

The four programs eliminated: cardiopulmonary sciences and radialogic sciences in the College of Health and Public Affairs; engineering technology in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; and management information systems in the College of Business Administration.

The university also is suspending the actuarial program. That leaves the door open for it to be revived some day. But faculty and staff connected to the program will still be laid off.

UCF's statistics program, targeted for closure in the initial plan to reduce spending, will be allowed to continue.

The actuarial and statistics programs are in the College of Sciences.

The initial cost-cutting proposal was designed to reduce annual spending by $6 million in large part by trimming 51 jobs.

Officials said local community colleges, including Seminole and Valencia, are interested in picking up some of the closed programs.

Luis Zaragoza can be reached at lzaragoza@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5718.