Embattled outgoing president Robert Robbins has offered “encouraging news” regarding the college’s continuing financial crisis while the university searches for a new president.
The institution with its main campus in Tucson is attempting to recover from a $177 million budget deficit caused by an incorrect cash reserve calculation late last year.
According to Robbins’ statement on Friday, the school projects that the fiscal year 2025 budget deficit “will be reduced from $162 million down to $52 million.”
Robbins continued by saying that the biggest chunk of the budget savings will result from lower administrative costs.
“The university will be in a position to allocate sufficient funds to ensure no college starts FY 2025 in a budget deficit,” Robbins stated in his statement.
On April 2, Robbins declared his intention to step down as president of the institution when his term expires on June 30, 2026. Should a successor be found before that date, he intends to retire earlier.
On Wednesday, the Arizona Board of Regents, which governs the three public institutions in the state, will host a town hall on campus to hear from Tucson residents regarding the national presidential search that started on April 15.
In June 2017, 66-year-old Robbins took over as the university’s 22nd president.
Recently, the regents announced that Robbins would no longer be eligible for up to $270,000 in additional compensation for reaching specific goals and lowered his yearly base salary by 10% from approximately $816,000 to roughly $735,000.
Robbins suggested to the regents that he be paid far less overall. Robbins has also emphasized time and time again that he will keep working with the regents to make sure the incoming school president has a seamless transition.