PORTLAND, Maine - The American Association of University Professors says it is looking into recently-announced budget cuts at the University of Southern Maine.
The Portland Press Herald reports the group sent a letter to university president David Flanagan saying the cuts raise "significant issues'' about tenure, due process and academic freedom.
The school announced earlier this week that it planned to lay off 14 staff members and delay or seek different sources for some capital projects as part of a plan to close a $16 million budget gap.
A spokesman for USM says administrators followed proper procedures in making the reductions, although some faculty members have disputed that.