UGA President Faces Pay Cut

Published March 19, 2010 at 10:17 p.m.
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) University of Georgia President Michael Adams says budget cuts next year could include pay reductions for top administrators, including himself.

The University System of Georgia is making cuts worth hundreds of millions of dollars this year as the state reduces its budget to cope with lower revenues.

``I think at some point anything's on the table,'' he said at a news conference Thursday. Some legislators and student leaders have called on the University System of Georgia to help make up for the revenue shortfall by cutting the pay of administrators.

State records show that Adams is paid more than $600,000 a year.

University system officials came up with a list of cuts after legislators said the system might have to trim expenditures by $300 million in the 2011 fiscal year in addition to $265 million in cuts already planned in Gov. Sonny Perdue's budget.

Adams didn't back off proposals to make drastic cuts to the State Botanical Garden and 4-H programs. ``We will continue to protect instruction first,'' he said.

He said university administrators have trimmed spending by more than $100 million over the past couple of years, and it's possible that the UGA Athletic Association will chip in more for academics.

The Athletic Association, which has millions of dollars in reserve accounts, last year agreed to donate $2 million a year for three years.

``We have some ongoing discussions,'' Adams said.

Information from: Athens Banner-Herald, http://www.onlineathens.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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