NATION : Budget Cuts Asked at Harvard

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. —  Department heads at Harvard College have been asked to cut their budgets by as much as 6% to stave off what may be the largest budget deficit ever to hit the nation’s most prestigious school, the Boston Globe reported today.

Acting Dean Henry Rosovsky asked for the cuts in an Oct. 5 letter to members of Harvard College’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the paper reported. He said the department cuts, regular monitoring of spending and certain actions to increase unrestricted income could trim $2.8 million from a projected $13.4-million deficit, which he termed unprecedented. Salaries of instructors will not be affected.

The deficit comes at a time when many of the nation’s colleges and universities are grappling with financial problems. Stanford University is cutting staff and administration to try to trim 13% from its budget and keep tuition down.