In the world of higher education, there’s a difference between state institutions and the College of Southern Idaho that influences preparations for state budget cuts.

The State Board of Education is considering adopting a policy change that would give presidents of state schools, such as the University of Idaho and Boise State University, the flexibility to cut salaries and impose furlough days for tenured faculty.

At CSI, where faculty members aren’t tenured, the policy change isn’t an issue. But state funding for higher education still needs to be dealt with head-on by community colleges. In the latest round of state budget holdbacks issued in September, the appropriation for community colleges was cut by 6 percent — $705,700 for CSI this fiscal year.

In the last fiscal year, CSI eliminated open positions and began holding vacancies open for at least 90 days, CSI President Jerry Beck said.

The college also didn’t award salary raises last year, he said.