When the Arizona Legislature gathers for a special session on Monday to try to close the state's $500 million deficit, it will likely mean another hefty chunk of funding cut from the university system, UA administrators said yesterday.

Between expected cuts to the UA and the Health Sciences Center, nearly $18 million may be removed from this year's operating budget, documents from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee show.

Gov. Jane Hull called for the special session to eliminate the remaining deficit for this fiscal year. Arizona's main revenue source ÷ sales tax ÷ has fallen far short of projections for past two years, according to documents from the state.

The proposed cuts amount to about 5.4 percent of the state's funding this year, which means that 241 full-time positions at the UA could be eliminated ÷ about 5 percent of the workforce on campus, according to JLBC documents.

"What they're saying is you need to give us $18 million back and we expect you to reduce the (UA's) employment," Dick Roberts, UA budget director, said. "We're back to cannibalization (of unfilled jobs)."

Roberts said he did not know how many of the positions were filled.

Roberts said these reductions come in addition to $25.7 million taken at the fiscal year's beginning in July, but some UA officials complained that this cut is just a small part of the total that has been cut in the past two years.

"What we have lost is about $110 million. We're looking at one hammer blow after the next," President Pete Likins said.

In April 2001, Hull vetoed the university's building renewal fund, about $15 million. Since then Likins said the UA has either been dealing with a current funding reduction or preparing for the next. "Our cupboards are bare," he said.

A few months ago, when it was initially announced that the UA could face a 5 percent cut from the state, there was a sense of relief that the Legislature was not asking for more, said Matt Ortega, spokesman for the Arizona Board of Regents.

UA vice president for government relations Greg Fahey said he did not know yesterday what kind of impact the possible elimination of 241 jobs could have.

"We are not rushing like lambs to the slaughter. We've been taking it in the neck for some time," Fahey said.

A total of more than $42 million is proposed to be cut from the university systems budget, including Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University and the Board of Regents. Nearly 600 jobs are to be eliminated in addition to that cut, the JLBC documents show.

If the Legislature is able to close the deficit with these proposals, Likins said the UA could be spared from any further budget reductions this year.

"We are just unable to sustain more," Likins said. "We're hoping the special session will mean it's over for this year."