The troubled state of the economy has begun to trickle down into the world of college students. Due to the state of the economy, A&T has been forced to make some changes due to budget cuts that have been put in place.

Chancellor Harold L. Martin, Sr. on July 15th, posted a letter on the school website about the upcoming budget cuts that would be taking place.

Martin said the Budget Advisory Board was working to make some budget reductions.

He went on to outline the four guiding principles of the committee: stated that he wanted them to be guided by four principles; to first to protect the classroom and core functions to the greatest extent possible, second to protect essential student services including financial aid, third to maintain a safe campus environment for students to learn and faculty and staff to work, and finally to protect the quality of the academic programs through the efficient and effective use of all available resources.

On July 23, Martin posted another letter on A&T’s website with the actual budget reduction plan for 2009-10 and 2010-11.

In the letter he states that Martin is they will be planning to implement a 10 percent budget cut which equates to approximately 10.6 million dollars per year for both 2009-10 and 2010-11 fiscal years.

The big question is where will A&T students expect to see the most loss? A total of 71.25 staff and faculty positions have been cut in 2009-10. Six of those 71.25 positions are already occupied and the other 65.25 were unoccupied.

Support has been provided to those expecting lay offs and hiring has also been suspended until further notice, with the exception of Deans, Chairs and faculty. A&T will also see a loss is in total operational lines, meaning travel, equipment and supplies by approximately $5.5 million.

Student Government Association President Syene Jasmin said students will notice the drop in the number of teachers and classes.

Upperclassmen may be affected the most because they are further in their major and the courses they need to take vary more than general university studies courses that all freshmen have to take.

The 2009 Fall Catalog is evidence of that.   Jasmin goes on to say there will be changes because the state funding.

He said SGA is working diligently to make sure students do not see many changes in campus life.

Students cannot be sure of tuition changes. The semester bills sent out to the students at the end of the summer said tuition might increase by 8 percent.

A possible 8 percent tuition increase after the start of classes could lead to a number of problems for students.

However, on August 14, Martin posted another budget update. He announced that Governor Perdue signed the State’s budget into law on August 7.

The result was a 7.2 million reduction for A&T.

Martin shared information about the tuition increase for the next year fiscal year. He said there would be an 8 percent or $200 increase.

No scholarships would be at jeopardy this year and the expansion submission for the support of the College of Engineering and the Engineering Research Center (ERC) was approved for $2 million.

A&T received an additional $1 million to support the implementation of the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN).

“It is the students that set the academic standard, it is the students that make campus life; things will not die unless we all give up and let it,” Shaena Price said, a sophomore at A&T.

Martin summed it all up quite simply as this: “We must face these tough times together as we continue building a climate of academic competitiveness and intellectual rigor.”

• Sylvia Obell