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Missouri State University President Clif Smart meets with reporters following Gov. Eric Greitens’ announced plans to make higher education cuts.SBJ photo by GEOFF PICKLE
Missouri State University President Clif Smart meets with reporters following Gov. Eric Greitens’ announced plans to make higher education cuts.

SBJ photo by GEOFF PICKLE

MSU’s Smart cautions on future Greitens cuts

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Missouri State University President Clif Smart met with reporters Tuesday to address Gov. Eric Greitens’ higher education cuts.

Out of the $146.4 million withheld by Greitens on Monday, $6.3 million affected MSU, officials say. Springfield Business Journal yesterday reported on $1.6 million in restrictions affecting MSU, but Smart laid out the full extent of the cuts at the meeting near his Carrington Hall office.

Suzanne Shaw, Smart’s vice president for marketing and communications, said the $6.3 million would be covered by MSU reserve funds. The cuts comprise money for MSU’s cooperative engineering program with the Missouri University of Science and Technology; the pharmacy school project in partnership with University of Missouri-Kansas City; MSU’s piece of the University of Missouri School of Medicine Springfield clinical campus; funding via the A+ Scholarship Program; and core funding provided to all four-year institutions statewide.

Greitens on Monday also warned $700 million in additional budget cuts over the next 18 months may be necessary. If further cuts affect MSU’s state funding, Smart said the result could be tuition increases and staff layoffs. He noted payroll comprises 65 percent of the university’s budget.

“We can’t expect to replace all of the money lost just by raising tuition. We have to look at both sides. We have to look at increasing revenue and we have to look at decreasing expenses,” Smart said. “I don’t think we could deal with a major ongoing budget cut without losing personnel.”

Considering Greitens inherited the state’s current budget situation, Smart said he isn’t critical of the governor’s action. He said it’s up to newly elected government officials and university executives to find solutions.

On Monday, Greitens said the budget restrictions are necessary to balance Missouri’s budget. Other cuts include those for the state departments of Revenue, Transportation and Economic Development. The full list of cuts can be viewed here.

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