UConn Will Stick With Plan to Hire 275 Professors Despite State Budget Cut

The University of Connecticut says a $10.3-million cut in its state appropriation will not make it abandon its highly touted plan to hire nearly 300 professors.

“Things are very tight here. It’s a tough economy,” said Susan Herbst, the university’s president, in an interview on Thursday. “But we’re committed to hiring new faculty because it’s the key to building an even better research university. Without the intellectual firepower of our faculty, we can’t go forward.”

The university announced last December that it planned to create 275 tenure-track positions, many in research-oriented fields, over the next four years. It was an unusual move for a state university in the midst of a sluggish economy that has seen widespread retrenchment at other public colleges.

Ms. Herbst said the institution had recently increased tuition and fees specifically to generate money to hire scholars for the new positions. However, with the reduction in state support—about $15-million when fringe benefits are included—cuts in nonacademic areas are coming.

“Everything will be on the table,” she said.

The university hired a consulting firm to help it find money to expand the faculty, and carrying out the consultants’ suggestions has become a priority, Ms. Herbst said. The consultants, McKinsey & Company, recommended that the university revamp its information-technology services and centralize purchasing, two moves that could save more than $20-million.

Ms. Herbst said Connecticut was also looking at other ways to raise revenue, such as charging more for tickets to athletic events, as the consultants recommended. Stepping up fund raising will also be key. “There’s no question that this adds some urgency to our efforts,” said Ms. Herbst, referring to the budget-cut announcement.

The university is in the second year of its hiring spree. So far 75 new professors have already started work, and more will arrive this spring. About 120 searches are under way for professors who will arrive next fall.

“We’re getting so many good people,” Ms. Herbst said. “My goal is to protect faculty hiring at all costs.”