Because of Tennessee's financial problems, UTM will be experiencing budget cuts for the academic year of 2003-2004.
Those cuts are projected to be as high as nine percent across the board.

While none of these projections are official, students, faculty and staff must begin preparing for a worst-case scenario.
This week, the Pacer takes an in-depth look at the effect the possible budget cuts could have on the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.

Frank Black, Interim Dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, has said that a nine percent budget decrease would "cut [the college] to the bone". Such a budget cut would result in $266,833 being taken from the programs.

Although none of these cuts have been implemented, Black is sure that they would have a "big effect on student's class schedules." Some classes could not be offered as often or at all.

Black also predicts that teaching positions currently vacant will have to stay that way until the budget is again increased.

However, the college would not have to lose any of its current teachers.

One way of fixing this problem will be to hire adjunct professors on one-year contracts. This method is a more inexpensive way to fix the problem of not having enough professors, because hiring permanent ones will be too costly.

But what Black is most worried about is passing the three accreditations the college will be going through next year. The decreased budget might make obtaining the accreditations more difficult.

The Educational Studies Department will begin accreditation procedures for NCATE [National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education] in Fall 2003.

The department of Health and Human Performance will be striving for accreditation from CAAHEP [Commission for the Accreditation of Athletic and Allied Health Education Programs]. Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work and Criminal Justice will be working for CSWE [Council on Social Work Education] accreditation.

But Dean Black is not the only person worried about the college's future.

Gary Brown, Chair of Psychology, says the department is already shorthanded and searches for new faculty now may have to be canceled. "I am also concerned about keeping the faculty we have. We pay low salaries and nickel and dime them to death with low operating budgets," Brown said.

Susan Vickerstaff, Chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work and Criminal Justice, also worries about the effects of a nine percent budget cut.

She feels that the department already has "practically no operating budget".

The cut would force the department to limit regular office necessities such as making copies and phone calls. Also some courses might have to be cut from the schedule.

She is most dismayed at the idea of cutting traveling costs for teachers to go to developmental conferences and other similar events.

Paul Blair, Chair of Health and Human Performance, says he is going to be optimistic. "We must trust the administration to review everything based on reports from departments and colleges to decide where cuts will be made," Blair said.

He expects that there would not be a flat nine percent cut for every department. But like other departments, Blair knows that Health and Human Performance would have to make cuts by leaving unfilled teaching positions vacant and cutting faculty travel expenses.

The faculty is planning to help each other as much as possible in the face of larger workloads.

The Educational Studies Department is expected to have similar cutbacks if the nine percent budget cut is implemented.

The chair of the department could not be reached for comment.

When everything is said and done, Dean Black is hoping for a smaller percentage budget cut. He feels that nine percent is the maximum that could be taken from the college.

Any larger percentage will begin to affect the quality of education the College of Education and Behavioral Studies provide, and that is not something Black ever wants to compromise on.