COLUMBIA — MU administrators are unsure what affect the more than $7 million in budget cuts, announced Wednesday by Gov. Jay Nixon, will have on university programs.
The majority of funding cut from the Higher Education Department would come from the MU Health Care's hospital's and clinic's general operating funds.
"We are very grateful that the core budget of the University of Missouri was not reduced," MU Chancellor Brady Deaton said in a statement. "However, several of the cuts will have both direct and indirect effects on our operations, primarily in health care and other statewide programs administered by the university."
As part of the cuts, Nixon proposed about $3 million* to be withheld from The Missouri Research and Education Network, which is 25 percent of its total funds.
MOREnet is a separate business unit within the University of Missouri System, according to its Web site, and provides Internet connectivity, technical support, videoconferencing services and training to member community colleges, universities, public libraries, health care and state government.
MU Health Care officials are not yet certain how the cuts will affect their programs.
"We are concerned about the proposed cuts, but we are in the process of assessing their impact," MU Health Care spokesman Jeff Hoelscher said. "We'll be looking at this over the next few days and weeks."