To cope with massive budget cuts to the Arizona university system, the state’s fastest growing university, NAU, has had to stop the development of several new academic programs.

The creation of new and unique areas of study, including occupational therapy and physicians’ assistance, have been largely abandoned for now as a cost-cutting measure, said Lisa Nelson, NAU director of public affairs.

“We were looking at, within the next couple of years, offering these programs,” she said. “That has come to a grinding halt.”

The university also eliminated funding for the Arizona Water Institute, a joint venture by the state’s three universities to enhance water resources management and technology.

Additionally, Nelson said NAU will no longer operate its social-research laboratory, which conducted public polls, or manage a high-altitude Olympic training site — one of only six in the nation.

NAU’s share of the university system’s budget cut amounts to $21.3 million this year and is at least that much for next year, she said.

But with the funds for several programs already eliminated this year, the university could struggle to find additional funds to cut for even tighter budgets expected in 2010.

“We can’t hit those things again next year, so how do we make [the cuts] permanent?” she said. “These are the kinds of things we have to look at.”

One option NAU administration chose is already in effect at ASU and UA: furloughs.

For this fiscal year, which ends June 30, only the president, vice presidents and academic deans are taking furloughs, Nelson said. Starting in July, all university employees will be furloughed based on their salary.

Anyone making more than $40,000 a year must take up to seven unpaid days off, she said, and anyone making less than that amount must take up to two days.

NAU President John Haeger wanted to delay schoolwide furloughs until the next fiscal year, Nelson said, in order to give employees time to prepare.

Another step the university may take, along with UA and ASU, is to request tuition and fee increases from the Arizona Board of Regents.

Emily Palumbo, ABOR’s assistant executive director for public affairs, said there are currently no items on the agenda to revise tuition at any university this year, though it has come up at a few meetings.

“All three presidents … did mention the likelihood of proposing [increases], but there weren’t any specific proposals,” she said.

She said it would probably take several weeks for an item to appear on the agenda, and it would have to go through committee meetings first.

Nelson said about 40 percent of NAU students have guaranteed tuition, so their tuition will not increase. Any possible increases will be for incoming freshmen and continuing students who entered NAU before the guarantee was implemented, she said.

But she said the biggest challenge to cutting programs and raising tuition is the rate of enrollment growth.

NAU’s student body, with around 22,500 students, increased 5.4 percent last fall and about 17 percent over the last five years, according to a September press release.

“We’re having to make these cuts when demand is going up, and that’s a challenge,” Nelson said.

Reach the reporter at adam.sneed@asu.edu.