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GREENSBORO — UNCG and N.C. A&T have released  proposals to cut 10  percent from their respective 2009-2010 budgets, ahead of what likely will be greatly reduced state funding.

UNCG would cut more than $17 million from its budget, and A&T, more than  $10.5 million.

The proposals call for the loss of the equivalent of 156  full-time positions at UNCG and 71 at A&T.

At UNCG, 76 of those positions would be faculty. At A&T, 35 faculty positions would be eliminated.

UNCG Chancellor Linda Brady stressed that no final decision has been made, but layoffs likely would be inevitable if funding is reduced.

“Of course, we are going to try to eliminate positions that are now vacant first,” Brady said. “But at a cut of 10 percent, we are going to have to look at eliminating positions that are now filled.”

A&T Chancellor Harold Martin said announcing layoffs is especially hard given the economy.

“We’re trying to avoid laying off anyone, from anywhere in the university knowing the economic climate they’ll be dealing with,” Martin said. “But we’re trying to be good stewards of the public funds and protect the core academic mission of our universities at the same time.”

Though the General Assembly has yet to pass a 2009-10 budget, all 16  schools in the UNC system are providing such proposals to UNC General Administration. UNC President Erskine Bowles instructed the campuses to plan for a 10 percent cut for the next two years.

When projections for all the campuses have been assembled, Bowles will send his estimate to the UNC Board of Governors and present it to the General Assembly. The budget process will be discussed at the next Board of Governors meeting on Aug. 13-14.

The most visible immediate effect of a 10 percent cut at the campuses could be faculty and staff layoffs, but both chancellors said the ripple effect on the quality of education, faculty retention and graduation rates could be felt for years.

Among the direct effects for students:

-- About 6,000 fewer classroom seats available at UNCG,  about 3,000 fewer at A&T.

-- About 200 fewer course sections available at UNCG, about 100 fewer at A&T.

-- Students would be able to generate nearly 18,000 fewer credit hours per year at UNCG, nearly 9,000 fewer at A&T.

UNCG Provost David Perrin said the result would be students having trouble getting the classes they need, taking longer and spending more to graduate.

“And we have another record enrollment this year,” Perrin said.

As of this week, UNCG has 2,535 freshmen arriving for the fall semester and 16,334 students total.

Projected fall enrollment for A&T were not available Thursday.

“I’m already hearing from students who are having trouble getting what they need when they register for classes,” Perrin said.

Both Brady and Martin said their schools have done what they can to make sure that when students begin arriving next month for the fall semester, they’ll be able to get the courses they need.

“Quite frankly, what has us worried is what is going to happen in the spring semester,” Martin said. “If the economy continues to worsen over the course of the year and the faculty positions we’ve temporarily taken offline we have to eliminate for the whole year, then it’s going to have an impact on our campus and our ability to deliver the full selection of courses.”

Contact Joe Killian at 373-7023 or joe.killian@news-record.com