“We appreciate the flexibility the Joint Finance Committee has given us to handle what will still be a very serious cut of $100 million dollars. We have said throughout this process that we are willing to be part of the solution to the state’s fiscal problem, but coping with this magnitude of cut will test each of our campuses and each member of our university community.
“The committee has rightly recognized that we must have the flexibility to manage this cut in ways that will sustain quality and access for our students. The next challenge will be the acceptance of this proposal by the full Legislature and we will be working hard to help legislators understand and support this package.”