UMass Dartmouth Touts Cost Saving Measures

University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan recently announced that roughly four percent has been cut from their operating budget for the current fiscal year.

At the Dartmouth campus Assistant Chancellor John Hoey tells WBSM News they have saved roughly $4 million through a variety of methods.

"That includes about a million dollars via hiring freezes and another 1.2 million dollars in just sort of across the board operations budget cuts, elimination of some positions that have been budget but not yet filled," said Hoey.

Hoey says he school has also initiated an Efficiency and Effectiveness Program that examines ways to improve streamline campus operations.

"That's things like improving our purchasing processes, creating a more competitive products and services bidding process, energy savings, we've contracted out the management of our bookstore, so things like that have saved us approaching four million dollars," said Hoey.

By taking those actions Hoey says the school was able to reallocate resources to other areas such as increased financial aid.

"We're investing more money in financial aid this year than, I believe, ever before, I think we've invested a record amount of financial aid in our students this year," said Hoey "and that's made possible by some of these other measures we've taken."

Hoey also says the school has also increased fundraising efforts and has worked toward more agressively pursuing grant opportunities.