To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

WINSTON-SALEM -- Addressing students, faculty and the community Winston-Salem State University Chancellor Donald Reaves wasted no time Tuesday tackling the tough topic of this years budget concerns.

"It's a pretty precarious situation that we're in and I think it's going to remain difficult for some time to go," he said.

In just his fourth year on the job, Reaves and the university have endured a more than $30 million reduction in state funding -- $10.1 million this year alone.

"The only way to take that kind of money out of the operating budget after three years is by way of head count,” said Reaves.

And as they struggle with the budget, students like Felicia Simmons struggle to find financial aid.

"Sometimes I have to drop a class if I don't have the money for it," she said.

Simmons and other students came to the town hall meeting looking for answers on how else these cuts will affect their education.

"We need to know just as much as they know so we won't be in the dark, and we'll know what we're paying for what we're here for and what we're going to be provided with." said senior Malaika Mathenge.

Reaves explained, to make ends meet, the university eliminated more than 115 positions, 31 filled and the remainder vacant, along with increasing teacher workloads and halting production on certain projects.

As the university looks to the future, Reaves says if state budget cuts continue, the next thing they'll likely have to cut will be programs.

“If we were to continue to sustain these sorts of cuts, we'd have to begin to make those sorts of decisions," he said.

It's estimated that Winston-Salem State has a $350 million annual economic impact on the community but Reaves says that will be affected as they're forced to eliminate positions.

The UNC System saw cuts of $414 million this year.