GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Hundreds of classes and dozens of positions are on the chopping block at UNCG. The budget is short $12.8 million for the upcoming school year so university officials are forced to find the money elsewhere.
They're still working out the details, but it might include cutting up to 600 classes, down from 13,000. That might also include 120 positions, but some of those are vacant right now.
The university will also increase freshman enrollment, some class sizes, and online courses, and accept more transfer students. To spare some classes, some faculty members have agreed to teach more classes and several administrators will even teach this fall.
"We are doing everything we can to protect student access to classes," said UNCG Chancellor Linda Brady. "As a result, the non-academic units of the university will take a larger share of the cuts."
Some students we spoke with are worried about the lasting effects.
"The value of the degree would plummet and just the value of our education, how much we pay, would go up a lot," said UNCG Sophomore Christopher Yarborough.
"Reduce class sizes, classes being only offered one semester and so it really does because you're getting pushed back in school," added UNCG Senior Natalie Williams. "I feel like it's harder to graduate in four years now."
University administration blames the budget crunch on reduced funding from the state and a drop in student enrollment. They say they lost about 500 students this year. A lot of those are because students just aren't going to grad school. Enrollment at half of our state universities decreased this school year.
