As part of an effort to control costs and eliminate the deficits that had plagued the university budget under his predecessor, University of Oklahoma president James Gallogly has implemented several cost-saving measures.

Those efforts continued this month when Gallogly “approved actions that will close OU’s study center in Rio de Janeiro, make significant cuts to the campus in Arezzo, Italy, and reduce international travel fellowships,” the OU Daily reported.

The Oklahoman reported:

“As part of our urgent need to stabilize the institutions finances, the university is going through a comprehensive review of every program on campus, both academic and administrative, looking for ways to be more efficient,” [provost Kyle] Harper said. “Every department is going through this.”

Grillot was not on board with budget cuts in the College of International Studies, which include pulling out of the Brazilian Study Center in Rio de Janeiro, Harper said. “That is the single most heavily subsidized program on campus and the costs don't justify the benefits,” he said. Harper said the college had overextended into too many programs and too many places, so OU is cutting programs that are “more expensive than defensible.”

The website of the David L. Boren College of International Studies lists one dean, two associate deans, 10 program directors, 15 members of the dean’s personal staff, 21 faculty members (which include a number of full professors), and at least a dozen other staff members. That does not count a lengthy list of affiliate faculty members from other academic departments.