TBR hires firm to consult on budget cuts

The Tennessee Board of Regents has hired a Washington D.C. consulting firm to look at areas that can be cut or combined to save money.

TBR is paying Bell and Trice Enterprises up to $40,000 for its review.

Tennessee universities face a minimum of 19.2 percent in cutbacks during the next fiscal year. Community colleges face an estimated 13.5 percent.

Academic Affairs Vice Chancellor Paula Short says the largest areas under consideration involve programs with few students.

“If a program is not productive, if it’s not mission-critical to the campus, it’s not graduating a minimum number of students; then it seems a campus could eliminate that program or consolidate that program and use those resources to enhance programs that are productive and are graduating students.”

Regents also talked about a possible congressional stimulus package that could provide some budget relief. Under President Barack Obama’s plan, cuts for universities would lower to 11.7 percent and community colleges to 7.2 percent.