Facing a projected $177 million budget deficit, UA administrators are working on a recovery plan amid sharp criticism from the governor and others. Officials presented a rough outline of that plan to the university community Monday, following a special meeting last week of the Arizona Board of Regents and a scathing letter from Democratic governor Katie Hobbs, who said the financial crisis showed a “lack of accountability, transparency, and … leadership.” She demanded a series of reports on the matter. At a leadership forum Monday, UA president Robert Robbins and ABOR executive director John Arnold—who is also serving as the university’s interim chief financial officer, much to Hobbs’s disapproval—presented both the financial problems and potential solutions, offering a look at the long-term plan to ease a projected $177 million budget deficit.
