University Budget Cuts May Delay Residence Hall Renovations  

Recent budget cuts at Frostburg State University may cause residence hall renovations to move slower than anticipated, according to Residence Life Director Dana Severance.

Governor Martin O’Malley announced $400 million in budget cuts earlier this month. Many cuts are being made in higher education. In an email to faculty, staff and students, Frostburg State University President Jonathan Gibralter explained that the university would have to take measures to meet these cuts.

“FSU is taking measures to meet these cuts and has asked for the Board of Regents’ approval for others. Among the measures are deferring maintenance and renovation plans, minimizing travel, freezing hiring for all but critical positions and reducing marketing and enrollment enhancement budgets,” said Gibralter.

Severance explained, “It is a little too early to tell what the full impact of budget cuts will be on residence hall renovations.” He continued, “We can certainly anticipate that the pace of improvements in the Cambridge bathrooms will be slowed by these cuts, since the Physical Plant staff can begin the work but will have to wait to finish it until funds are made available to hire external contractors.”

“The Cambridge renovations were planned over a four year period, starting with the first quadrant which was completed in Fall 2014,” Severance said. The renovations were scheduled to be completed in for Fall 2017.

Some of the work being done in the Cambridge Hall bathrooms is completed by FSU’s tradespeople, such as carpenters and electricians. Other tasks, like water proofing and stone tiling, are completed by contractors.

The budget issues will also delay future renovations for other residence halls.

“Planning for other renovations to residence halls (such as Annapolis and Cumberland) will undoubtedly be further delayed by the budget situation as well,” said Severance.

However, daily maintenance of residence halls will continue as usual.

“Daily maintenance of the residence halls will continue uninterrupted unless the university resorts to cutting positions, which is traditionally avoided here at FSU,” said Severance. “There is no reason to imagine that work orders for general maintenance of the halls will be interrupted.”