UAlbany's campus faces drastic cuts in light of a $12 million funding shortfall. Now the University's president speaks out to try to gain support from faculty for the unpopular decisions to come. Our Erin Vannella joined us from the alumni house on the UAlbany campus with more.

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ALBANY, N.Y. -- UAlbany's campus faces drastic cuts in light of a $12 million funding shortfall.

Faculty staff and students packed a meeting Monday afternoon where they heard from university officials about the cuts. The university's president, George Philip, says they'd avoid the unpopular cuts if they could, but it just isn't possible financially. A total of 160 positions could be eliminated by 2012, though Philip hopes to first reduce the work force through early retirements and voluntary resignations before resorting to layoffs.

The university will also stop accepting admissions in five program areas, including Classics, French, Italian, Russian and Theater.

Faculty members say there are alternatives.

"The resolution we present for consideration of the senate calls for mobilizing all of our resources in a statewide campaign to restore public funding, one option that SUNY administrators have failed to explore," said UAlbany faculty member Fernando Leiva.

"I call on all our administrators, the senate and my faculty colleagues to suspend the program deactivations and open a dialogue that is truly sensitive, inclusive," said Brett Bowles, professor of French Studies.

President Philip made clear at the meeting that just 16 percent of the cuts are to academics, citing a 22 percent reduction to the administration.