UI officials are considering using leftover stimulus money to confront the most recent budget crisis, the UI senior vice president for Finance told members of the Faculty Senate on Tuesday.

Doug True said approximately $13 million of the UI’s roughly $15 million in remaining stimulus funds could go toward meeting the $24.7 million budget gap. He noted some prospective UI programs would go unfunded if the money was used for budget needs, but he seemed to favor the idea of meeting more than half the mandated cut without compromising programs already in place.

Several faculty members raised questions on whether the funds could be used in such a capacity. True said although there are many provisions that go along with stimulus money, he feels confident the funds were available for use in this situation.

“They’ve assured us that we shouldn’t worry about that money going away,” he said. “That would be catastrophic.”

The UI received $35.5 million in federal stimulus money this past summer, some of which was used to meet a separate budget cut earlier this year and fund several programs around campus.

While the stimulus money would offset much of the budget cuts, True recognized that further cuts would have to be made and said all options were still on the table.

“I don’t know if anything has been ruled in or out,” he said. “This is an important listening time, then there will be a decision time.”

The Faculty Senate meeting served as part of that listening time, giving faculty the opportunity to share their thoughts about what cuts should be made.

Faculty Senate President David Drake called the budget issues the “800-pound gorilla in the room” and expressed concern about the longevity and effect of the problems.

“It’s definitely not a one-year problem,” he said. “It will have an adverse effect on education.”

Among other things, faculty discussed the possibility of cuts to retirement benefits, salary reductions, and layoffs. But a tuition surcharge proved the most divisive issue.

Some professors were in favor of the surcharge, responding to Regent President David Miles’ declaration that every sector of the university “share the pain” of the budget cuts.

Law Professor Sheldon Kurtz supported the idea of dividing the cuts between both students and employees.

“I think [students] are just as much a part of the community as we are, and they should share some of the pain as well,” he said.

Others expressed concern that a tuition surcharge would be asking too much of students and their families.

Psychology Professor Ed Wasserman said the university would be better served if students were not asked to make additional contributions.

“I think it seems wrong to spring a tuition increase on our students halfway through the year,” he said. “It’s up to us to shoulder the burden.”