WSU experiencing budget pressures from state, feds

Washington State University officials say the school is being squeezed by financial obstacles coming from the state and federal governments.

“I’ve described it as we’re in a vice, because we’re experiencing challenges from the state side, the federal side and we’re trying to address this internally,” said Glynda Becker-Fenter, WSU vice president for external affairs and government relations.

The WSU Board of Regents heard a report on these challenges Thursday during its monthly meeting.

WSU is trying to sort through President Donald Trump’s more than 80 executive orders, and his push to dismantle the Education Department. Becker-Fenter said he will need approval from Congress to dismantle anything that was created through a statute.

WSU receives $185 million from the Education Department. The department released a letter to educational institutions Feb. 14 notifying them that they must cease using race preferences and stereotypes as a factor in their admissions, hiring, scholarships and other practices. Not doing so will jeopardize federal funding.

WSU Provost Chris Riley-Tillman said the university does not “not have student organizations which are exclusive and do not allow individuals to participate in activities.”

However, he said the ambiguity of the government’s DEI policies is a challenge for the university because the $185 million in Education Department money is “really a game-changing conversation not just for the university but for students who rely on those funds to make college a possibility.”

WSU is also tracking the future of its federal grants and employees who are funded by those grants. Kim Christen, vice president for research, said seven federal grant awards have been terminated and six are under “stop work orders.”

The terminated grant awards, five of which are in the USAID program, means WSU will lose $3.8 million in revenue.

WSU has more than 1,100 employees who are fully supported by federal grant funds and 879 who are partially supported by grants. The Department of Government Efficiency directed agencies to review grants and contracts and make terminations where possible.

Christen said there is “a lot of chaos in D.C.” with how these grants are being handled.

Federal employees who were previously laid off have been told to come back. Becker-Fenter said 119 employees have returned to the USDA’s Agricultural Research Services, which works closely with WSU.

WSU is also facing financial pressure from the state government. Gov. Bob Ferguson has proposed a 3% cut in higher education funding and 24 furlough days for state employees over the next two years.

Becker-Fenter said the state is trying to address its $12 billion to $15 billion deficit. WSU can expect a mix of spending cuts and new revenue if the governor’s budget is passed. It is unclear how the furloughs will affect WSU.

Pay raises and cost-of-living adjustments are still allowed for WSU employees, she said.

Becker-Fenter has been telling lawmakers that these cuts are adding to WSU’s financial challenges, as the school has made significant budget cuts on its own over the years “to get our financial house back in order.”

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.