By Tyler Kerr And Alexandra Sailor

Sir Isaac Newton said with his Third Law of Motion, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,” and the University of Louisville budget cuts are a perfect example.

In an address to the General Assembly last Tuesday Gov. Steve Beshear outlined a budget cut proposal that included an 11.5 percent reduction of state funding to Higher Education. The announcement caused concern among many in the student body about the future of U of L.

“Slashing the budget this drastically seriously hampers the ability of the university to provide students opportunities and a chance to get an affordable education,” said sophomore business management student Vince Cain.

In order to meet the budget as outlined, colleges across U of L have been forced to discontinue plans for their programs. Faculty members have found themselves handling more duties due to indefinite stalls on new hires in addition to the canceling of classes taught by adjunct professors.

“The classes are going to grow, with more students squeezed into a single classroom and with fewer teachers to teach them,” said Prof. Tatjana Soldat?Jaffe of the humanities department. “And that doesn’t make anyone’s job easier.”

However, Dean R. Charles Moyer of the College of Business said “Cuts this year have had no affect on the short-term educational quality, but this is a long-term issue.”

Despite Moyer’s assurance, cuts have already had an effect on some university departments. Renovations to biology labs on campus, have been put on hold as a result of the cut backs. The Humanities Department has had to cancel certain language programs including proposed courses in Hindi.

“The remodeling would have substantially improved the way the lab would be taught,” Prof. Gary Cobbs, who teaches biology, said of the renovation delays. According to Cobbs, the purchase of updated technology such as computers and lab equipment would be delayed as a result of the cut backs.

According to College of Arts and Sciences Dean J. Blaine Hudson, the long term effects of the cut backs are still unclear and more will not be known until the state budget is finalized. U of L President Dr. James R. Ramsey will present the university’s 2008-2009 financial plans at the June 14 Board of Trustees meeting.

Hudson said that the deans of each college within the university would then be charged with implementing these specific goals. He said that severe budget cuts would affect part- time faculty first.

“There would be many things done before budget cuts hit faculty,” Hudson said. “We are focused not to have it affect our permanent staff members, but if the cuts are severe, part-time and year-long contracted staff would be the first [to be affected].”

Administrators acknowledged that many major renewal and building projects have also been set aside or prolonged in light of the lack of funds in the upcoming year. One example is the College of Business, which is set to relocate its graduate program to space in Museum Plaza downtown by 2010. The project was thrown into jeopardy when $400,000 was pulled from it to cover the cost of the cut backs.

According to Hudson, the College of Arts and Sciences has blueprints prepared for a Centennial Plaza to be located in the area between the Life Sciences Building and Davidson Hall. The project, which is designed to restructure the courtyard and add art to the landscape, has been put on hold due to the reallocation of its funds.

The budget cuts will also affect the financial aid situation of some students.

Although statewide financial aid will not be modified, beginning on July 1 of this year the state’s largest merit scholarship program, Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship, will be. With cuts of almost $13.1 million in the first year alone and more than $1 million in the second year, KEES officials are unsure how many students would be affected by the cut and to what degree. U of L students receive more than $10 million in KEES aid this year.

“There is a possibility the state is making their situation even worse by the time everything is said and done,” said Amy Kang, a senior political science major. “It’s going to be much harder for students to afford to go to college in Kentucky and it might force students to find other places to get educated which ultimately wouldn’t be good for the state.”