(Photo by Kelly Moffitt/St. Louis Public Radio)

As the University of Missouri–St. Louis looks to plug a $15 million hole in operational expenses in the months ahead, UMSL Chancellor Tom George acknowledges it’s a particularly tough moment for a university he loves and has led for more than a decade.

“No one enjoys budget cuts, and I’m awake every night,” George recently told Don Marsh, host of the “St. Louis on the Air” radio show, when asked whether it’s been a difficult time for him. “I woke up at 2:30 this morning, and I just went to my computer and thought, ‘Budgets.'”

But George was also optimistic during the Feb. 10 interview as he discussed the future of the university.

“We’re trying to also look at this as an opportunity,” he said. “There’s some things that – I’m looking ahead as to what we will be doing – that we probably should have done anyway, but when you don’t have a budget crisis you just let things move on. And so I think what we’re trying to do is come out even stronger with this.”

The interview touched on the reasons behind the financial issues UMSL is facing as well as some of the likely actions ahead in order to create a sustainable budget. George also highlighted a number of positive developments across the campus and surrounding communities.

Visit the St. Louis Public Radio | 90.7 KWMU website to listen to the full conversation. Learn more about the fiscal challenges UMSL is facing and share suggestions as the university works to address them here.