It appears that Dean Michael Smith and our buddies at FAS have finally let the chips fall. The budget cuts are out. Much like our friend Bob Barker, FlyBy lets you know if each cut is a winner, or worth sending home.

The first thing to note about all this? The $77 million in cuts detailed in today's announcements represents only 35% of the $220 million deficit for the 2010-2011 academic year. So to a certain extent, why sweat the small stuff?

However, the cuts today do represent the single most visible step thus far in the quest to cut the budget. Rumors have been flying around all year, and some students have already exercised their right to protest some of the administrations tactics. But today, the Administration posted its concrete plans for all students to see.

While FlyBy is sure the administration would like for people to take a cursory glance at the over 18 pages (in MS Word) of cuts that will be made, we're here to break out the ones important to your life.

Shuttle Service

  • Overnight shuttles from Sunday-Wednesday end at 1:30am.

  • Shuttle start times on Saturdays and Sundays is later, starting at 12:15pm.

  • Services on weekdays from 12pm-2pm are now every 20 minutes instead of every 10.

  • Actual Retail Price: More 3am walks through Cambridge Commons. You can still call the escort service though! Except HUCEP shuts down at 2am from Sun-Wed...so you have 30 extra minutes. So helpful.

More budget cuts, after the jump.

Athletics

  • Team travel expenditures for non-Ivy and non-local games will be reduced.

  • The MAC is closed over the summer.

  • JV Hockey, Baseball and Basketball are now club teams.

  • Less bubble action for Harvard football.

  • Actual Retail Price: Fairly uncertain. That first item may mean no exhibition games in random states next year or sleeping in buses for all we know.

Quad Library

  • Library services discontinued after this spring.

  • "The College will engage students over the coming months in discussions on how best to use the nearly 10,000 square feet made available by this move to meet student activities and social space needs"

  • Actual Retail Price: Quad < Allston

HUDS

  • Hot items (sausage, bacon, eggs) for weekday breakfast are cut, except in the 'Berg.

  • Brain Break budget increased by 40%.

  • 7.5% reduction in the cost of board.

  • Actual Retail Price: Athletes will be malnourished after workouts, and the Brain Break increases mean more make-your-own cupcake! FlyBy's cupcakes are always top caliber, so we support this move.

Cafes

  • Widener Library Cafe (that one in the basement you've probably never seen) is closing down.

  • SOCH Penthouse coffee bar is also closed.

  • Actual Retail Price: The self-service espresso machine is still open! As are "state-of-the-art" vending machines.

Energy Savings

  • Winter heating set point lowered to 68 degrees, summer cooling set point raised to 75 degrees.

  • FAS will continue to pursue policies like motion sensor lights and solar panel installations.

  • Actual Retail Price: More complaining about the temperature in those tweener times. But Green is the new Crimson, right?

Proctors

  • Proctors for exams will now be faculty, grad students, and staff.

  • Actual Retail Price: No more old ladies with Boston accents saying "incommunicado."

GSAS PhD

  • The entering Graduate School of Arts and Sciences PhD class will be cut.

  • Embedded in this one is "modest reductions to programs such as orientation and opening day activities, Dudley House events, and commencement."

  • Actual Retail Price: Shove it, Dudley House! Also, graduate school is now not only useless for employment, but also harder to get in to! Makes you reconsider that Classics degree.

Staffing

  • Reduced-schedule employment options are being implemented.

  • More flexible work schedule to respond to seasonal changes.

  • Requests for new staff will be heavily scrutinized.

  • Actual Retail Price: Any Ec major will tell you, workers involuntarily doing part-time hours is just as bad as unemployment. It's also a great way to save money without the public stigma of firing people. Oh yeah, we're not offering new jobs. Sorry, SLAM.

Bonuses

  • Faculty and non-union salaries are flat in the next fiscal year.

  • No bonuses for any employee in 2010

  • Actual Retail Price: Hooray, SLAM!

Admissions Office

  • Outreach programs will no longer be travel-based, they'll utilize "modern telecommunications technologies."

  • More coordination with the Harvard Clubs, especially international.

  • Actual Retail Price: That Dean that came down to your Harvard Club reception? They'll use video chat instead.

Consultants

Historically at Harvard, when school expertise in a particular area either does not exist or is not available within reasonable time constraints, outside consultants have been used to fill the gap. Last year, the FAS spent nearly $10 million on external consultants. Instead FAS will utilize the expertise available within the University to accomplish such tasks. This will require a commitment to the “One Harvard” perspective, and will necessitate greater communication and collaboration across schools. Only in rare cases when required expertise simply does not exist within the University will outside consultants be used.

Actual Retail Price: Haha, this one is just funny. "One Harvard", sounds a bit like one of FlyBy's favorite throwback mottos. Harvard's too big to fail, right?