Four years ago, when the University of Maine System was cutting programs to save money, officials were criticized for not, instead, making up the shortfall by taking money from System reserves.
At the time, officials said they needed all of the $88 million in the reserve account as a contingency for the unexpected and other expenses.
Now, the System says it is again under financial pressure – Gov. Paul LePage’sbudget proposal for the two years starting July 1 calls for no funding increase for the university system.
The first campus to feel the pinch is the University of Southern Maine, based in Portland, which plans to cut expenses $5 million, mostly from faculty and staff reductions.