The Architecture School and Education School have decided to delay hiring searches until the Virginia General Assembly devises a solution to statewide budget problems.
The move to freeze any new recruitment efforts - which the College also did last week - functions as a way to prevent more drastic cuts for the two schools in the future, officials have said.
Both schools made their decisions in response to University President John T. Casteen III's recent request that deans and administrators begin formulating plans to work under tighter budgets because of decreased state revenues. State revenue is behind about 2.4 percent for the first quarter of this fiscal year, and by law the state must maintain a monthly balanced budget. The current situation creates uncertainty for higher education funding.
"If we had taken a gamble and filled some positions too early, and in the meantime Richmond decides to cut our funding, then I would have virtually no free funds to handle that," Education School Dean David W. Breneman said.
Breneman has suspended searches for four vacant faculty positions.
"Every percentage drop in funds in the budget means a loss of $110,000. So if we get a 3 percent cut, which is perfectly imaginable, we'll lose $330,000 dollars, affecting the security of several faculty positions," he said.
A freeze on hiring new faculty will have little effect on either currently employed faculty or the student body, according to Architecture School Dean Karen Van Lengen, who has frozen three faculty searches.
"We will be able to cope with this on the short-term level," Van Lengen said.
Gov. James S. Gilmore III will announce the final budget proposal for his term Dec. 19. The General Assembly will not get a chance to review proposals until it reconvenes Jan. 9. Democratic Governor-elect Mark R. Warner will take over the executive portion of budget negotiations after his Jan. 12 inauguration.
University schools could have to wait until the spring to make final budgets when the legislative session ends March 9.
Provost Gene D. Block said he remains confident the University can cope with this decision in the short term.
"It's a little demoralizing to not hire new faculty, but we'll weather this for a year, and then start hiring again with little delay," Block said.
When the economy will in fact make a comeback is unclear.
"We can't predict what will happen, but we have to be able to plan for the worst," said University budget director Melody Bianchetto.
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