Dickinson State President Thomas Mitzel said Tuesday that the university isn’t cutting positions or paychecks as it begins trimming about $1.1 million from its budget, as it was ordered to do Monday by Gov. Jack Dalrymple.
“One of the things we want to make sure we do is continue the university moving forward, and not let this slow our progress,” said Mitzel, who is in his fi rst semester at DSU.
Mitzel said DSU was already prepared to cut 2.5 percent from its budget before Dalrymple ordered state agencies who receive general fund appropriations to cut 4.05 percent from their budgets. The announcement came after the Offi ce of Management and Budget announced a $1 billion revenue shortfall due to falling oil and agriculture commodity prices.
Mitzel said he didn’t have details of where the university would be making cuts, but credited its fi nancial team for planning ahead. He said he will meet with his cabinet this week to discuss areas where DSU can trim an additional 1.5 percent from the school’s budget.
“What prepping for the 2.5 percent did was it made us look at all of our different budget lines,” Mitzel said. “Where we may have surplus, where we really could not cut, where we could reallocate, and we’ve gone through most of those mind exercises already.”
The university’s general fund appropriation for 2015-17 biennium was more than $27 million, according to documents made available on DSU’s website.
Mitzel said DSU’s proposed budget cuts could be submitted to North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott by as early as Friday.
Mitzel said the goal is to make cuts where students won’t be affected, “especially with their education.”
“We’re going to come out of this OK,” Mitzel said. “I never want to take away the signifi cance of a cut, because it’s never fun. But we’re going to come out of this OK.”
Dustin Monke 