The summer saw no end to Iowa State’s ongoing battle with a challenging budget.

The university will face a $32.1 million reduction in state appropriations this year, and another reduction of $18.2 million in 2003.

“These are very real cuts that are seen and to some extent will be felt,” said John McCarroll, director for university relations.

From students’ perpectives the most noticeable effect of the budget crisis is likely to be an 18.5 percent increase in tuition. Tuition revenue, totaling $23.1 million, will be used to offset reductions in state aid.

Tuition aside, students will see other differences, including fewer courses being offered and larger class sizes.

Not every area of study has been altered by the budget situation. Jessie Schuster, sophomore in chemistry, said enrolling in her desired courses was not difficult.

“I had no problem getting the classes I wanted, but they didn’t offer as many,” she said. She did note that one of her math classes was larger than anticipated.

McCarroll attributes scenarios like Schuster’s to the work the university has done to accommodate students despite a challenging budget. “We have worked hard to minimize the effect on students and to maintain programs that directly impact students on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

Faculty members have been impacted by budget cuts as well – 44 faculty positions have been eliminated. McCarroll noted budget cuts did not cause any layoffs; instead, open faculty positions were eliminated.

There is concern in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences about the effect budget cuts will have on faculty, said the college’s dean, Peter Rabideau.

His main worry is the declining number of faculty, but there are also obstacles in hiring new faculty.

“We have not only budget problems, but hiring problems,” Rabideau said. He explained that hiring rates have declined from an 80 percent success rate in 1999 to a 58 percent success rate this year.

Rabideau expressed optimism in bridge funding, which allows reductions in funding to be spread over a number of years.

“Bridge funding will save us from disaster by allowing us to maintain our programs,” Rabideau said. “It allows us to phase in funding and allows us to take advantage of any additional funding.”