Central Lakes College is anticpating budget cuts that will result in approximately ten full and part jobs being cut, according to CLC announcments made this week.

CLC President Larry Lundblad, who announced the reductions to CLC faculty and staff Tuesday, April 27, said the measures were being taken in advance of the state Legislature setting the final state higher education budget.

It was not known Tuesday how many of the positions affected were at the Staples CLC campus or how many were on the Brainerd campus.

CLC officials said, based on advice from the office of the chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), they are anticipating a reduction of 10.7 percent or $1.255 million to the college's state funding for each of the next two years,

As a results, ten fulland

part-time positions were cut as part of CLC's effort to trim costs by that 10.7 percent for each year of the next state budget biennium.

The 10 employees have been notified that their positions are being cut - about a $400,000 cost reduction - and additional reductions will come from a wage freeze, cutbacks in overtime and reductions in equipment and operating budgets - about a $855,000 reduction.

"This proposed reduction for the biennium is being viewed as the worst case scenario," said Lunblad. Students will also experience up to a 5 percent tuition hike, which has yet to be determined by the MnSCU Board of Trustees. Lundblad said it will be early summer before those amounts are determined.

The MnSCU chancellor is also suggesting that the college include in its financial planning the possibility that the current economic downturn will negatively impact revenues in the 2012-13 biennium as well.

The college is funded primarily through state allocation and tuition. Both revenue streams are determined by actions of the legislature and governor. The legislature is scheduled to complete its work in the next few weeks.

Currently, t he Minnesota House of Representatives, Senate and the Governor have different approaches to address the current state budget shortfall and funding for the next biennium. Included in the discussions are tuition rates and how the federal stimulus dollars will be allocated and applied to the system.

All CLC departmentbudgets are being examined for potential savings, but no programs will be eliminated.

Grants which have been received, new programs that have filled for summer and fall (Medical Assistant, Evening Welding and International Student Program) and expanded differential tuition (higher per credit tuition in higher cost programs subject to MnSCU Board approval) will provide additional revenues.

Another factor that will impact next year's budget includes the significant growth of the past two years, which will favorably impact final appropriations. Lundblad said CLC student enrollment increased more than 14 percent this year and 13 percent last year.

"In addition, we are seeing a significant increase in applications for next year," said Lundblad.

He noted that the number of personnel reductions that were anticipated a few weeks ago has been reduced due to the tentative contract agreements with two union groups last week and the earlier action by MSCF (Minnesota State College Faculty) that provide for zero increases in salaries for next year.

The salary freezes for state employees includes administrative salaries as well.