In light of Virginia government's budget problems, the College of Arts and Sciences suspended the hiring of new professors yesterday.
"We all looked at the budget numbers and read the newspapers and decided this was the prudent thing to do," College Dean Edward Ayers said.
All recruitment activities and replacement faculty appointments for 2002-03 were suspended as well, Ayers wrote yesterday in a letter sent to College department chairs. "Given the state's financial situation and the generally weak economy, it is prudent to limit commitments of some resources," said Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer.
By law the state must maintain a monthly balanced budget. But state revenue is behind by about 2.4 percent for the first quarter of the year. Because the University relies on the state for funding, University President John T. Casteen III has asked deans and administrators to be aware of the situation and begin formulating a plan to work within tighter budgets.
Casteen "had advised deans they should be thinking ahead," University spokeswoman Louis Dudley said.
Despite the University's reliance on the state budget, the decision to halt hiring was made within the College.
"There is no University-wide or state-mandated freeze on hiring," Sandridge said. "Each dean, vice president and administrative department head is expected to make budget decisions that are appropriate for their individual situations."
Other schools at the University currently are not affected by the College's freeze, however, the budget problems could reach beyond the College.
Future hiring freezes in other schools "depends on the depth of the state's problems and whatever future actions may be required by the governor," Casteen said.
Some schools at the University maintain more state than private funds. For instance, the Law school and the Darden School mostly are privately funded, Dudley said.
"Each of the deans within his or her own area are figuring out what to do with a reduced budget if it comes to that," Dudley added.
Eighty-five percent of the personnel funding for the College comes from the state, Ayers said.
"We really don't have much room for maneuvering on these kinds of [budget] issues," he said.
The freeze will not affect classes offered for the spring 2002 semester. The College also is trying to minimize any negative effects the hiring freeze may have on classes for the 2002-03 academic year.
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