Expecting dramatic cuts in state funding for higher education in 2011, University student leaders and administrators are devising plans to step up lobbying efforts as the University considers how to best cope with the anticipated loss.

But until concrete funding levels are determined, students' plans to lobby legislators and administrators' strategies to address the expected shortfall in their budget remain in limbo.

Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm discussed in October a possible 20-percent cut to state departments — like the Department of Education — which would result in $68 million less in state funding for the University. The measure would also further cut appropriations for many relying on public funding, including health care providers, state police and higher education institutions.

The directors of the state House and Senate fiscal agencies informed University students of the possible cut in a face-to-face meeting with Provost Teresa Sullivan, the Student Budget Advisory Committee and members of the University’s Flint and Dearborn campuses on Dec. 14.

Business junior Jason Raymond, chair of MSA’s external relations committee, said the expected cut is pushing the task of keeping students informed of the University’s budget process to the top of MSA's priorities.

“I think the biggest thing last year that the University administration lacked was providing substantial information to students so that they could understand the situation the University was in,” said Raymond, who also sits on the Division of Student Affairs Advisory Board. “We’re going to ask them to start their information campaigns earlier, so students can then see that clearly the state isn’t funding higher education.”

The campaigns will include meetings with students like the one with the House and Senate fiscal agency members held in December and a budget tutorial on the front page of the University’s website, according to E. Royster Harper, vice president for student affairs.

“What we’re trying to do is be transparent about the budget, to listen to students when they have issues and concerns about it and make sure they understand how tuition dollars are used,” Harper said.

The Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs also paid for transportation to a question and answer session with Granholm at Eastern Michigan University and offered to pay for a videographer’s assistance with a video to be sent to state legislators. The video — a collaboration between LSA Student Government and LSA — asked legislators to preserve the Michigan Promise Scholarship.

LSA senior Christine Schepeler, president of LSA-SG, said the responsibility to cut costs on campus falls on students as well. According to Schepeler, LSA-SG has been working closely with LSA Instructional Support Services and Planet Blue to encourage energy conservation and efficiency on campus.

“That’s one of the ways they’re trying to lower the budget in those categories, so the University will have more money to spend in the areas of the budget that are cut,” Schepeler said.

The Student Association of Michigan — a coalition of student governments from around the state — is planning a student-led rally in Lansing for late March, according to SAM president and Rackham student Jordan Twardy.

A similar rally last year drew approximately 500 students, Twardy said. However, he said he expects between 500 and 1,000 students to attend this year’s rally.

Twardy said SAM and other organizers are looking into providing transportation, obtaining waivers to excuse students from class and raising funds for lunch during the rally as incentives for students to attend the rally.

According to Twardy, SAM is also working on a list of policy recommendations for the state legislature in addition to the rally.

“Basically, we want to take this whole argument to another level,” Twardy said.