Uh Oh...Trouble At UNR

From the Reno Gazette-Journal:

UNR halting new state-funded hires

Faced with a projected $2.1 million shortfall partly caused by soaring utility costs, the University of Nevada, Reno has implemented an immediate hiring freeze on state-funded teaching and staff positions.

"Just as our own personal utility bills have escalated, the university's utility bills have skyrocketed - in our case, more than $650,000 to date - beyond what we initially had anticipated," UNR's Provost and Executive Vice President John Frederick wrote in a campuswide e-mail Monday.

"In addition, our need to meet growing enrollment demands, and the legislative mandate to refund about $1.8 million in salary savings this fiscal year, has placed us on a path leading to an unacceptable year-end budget deficit.

Federick said the university is expected to be more than $2 million in the red by June 30, the end of this fiscal year.

"To avoid this, we need to place an immediate freeze on hiring for state positions funded through the state instructional appropriation (1101 funds)," Frederick said.

I'll be making a phone call in the morning...