Clemson President Jim Barker has been appropriately aggressive in seeking ideas to grapple with budget cuts as the state experiences its worst recession in a generation. Barker last fall appointed 11 committees to identify potential cost savings in the wake of $38 million in state budget cuts.

Those committees right now are offering their ideas for students, staff and faculty to review. But before the committees even began meeting, Barker implemented several thoughtful cost-cutting measures.

Those included eliminating vacant positions, freezing hiring, cutting travel and delaying construction projects. Barker also required that all faculty and staff take five-day furloughs. ...

Stimulus money certainly will help, but as the state's economy continues to falter universities could see even more state funding cuts. Barker and other top university officials say the current financial challenges, in their depth and suddenness, have been unprecedented. ...

Clemson's difficulties are substantial and could get worse. But the university appears to be meeting those challenges with a comprehensive and conscientious approach that involves all the university's stakeholders.

The Greenville News