By now, “dealing with budget cuts” may seem to ISU students, faculty and staff a trite and highly overused phrase to describe what all of higher education has had to suffer through the past few years.

Now we’ve been forced to face the realities of that phrase once again, thanks to an additional 2.5 percent across-the-board cut ordered Oct. 10 by Gov. Tom Vilsack.

In order to counter this recent cut, ISU President Gregory Geoffroy has announced a plan to slash an additional $8.3 million from Iowa State’s already-reduced 2004—05 budget, which also takes into account shortfalls in tuition revenue.

While it is extremely unfortunate this reduction was sprung upon Iowa State in the middle of the fiscal year, President Geoffroy has dealt with it in the best possible manner by spreading the cuts out over four areas of the budget — making some of the biggest cuts in his own office.

WOI Radio faces a cut of more than $200,000 — about 9% of the station’s operating budget. The cuts will no doubt have an effect on the quality of WOI programming, which will likely include a reduction in the number of popular and informative National Public Radio shows the station offers.

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will be cut by $560,000, which is more than 17 percent of its funding for this fiscal year from the general university fund. No specifics were discussed on the possible elimination of some sports programs, but the possibility definitely looms on the horizon.

The brunt of the reductions, however, will be made in agriculture programs and Academic Affairs. Each college within the university is facing cuts of more than $150,000, with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences sacrificing more than $1.2 million. No department will likely escape from these measures unscathed.

All of these cuts will personally affect faculty and staff here at Iowa State. Many positions will remain unfilled, creating an extra workload for those professors and office workers who have to pick up the slack. The entire Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs stands to be eliminated, its duties portioned out to other offices — once again creating the need for extra planning and work.

This isn’t to mention the potential layoffs of faculty and staff that will inevitably ensue. We all know what results from this: larger class sizes and less time spent on individual student concerns.

However, after students have become comfortable with the mere 7.9 percent tuition increase already recommended by the Board of Regents for the coming school year, it’s a relief to not be stuck with double digits once again — for now.