Five months after the City of Ithaca approved cutting the number of Ithaca Police Department officers by nine in an effort to close the city’s $3-million budget deficit, IPD is operating with minimum staffing, according to an Ithaca Police officer.

Although the department says it is trying to better utilize resources while increasing student involvement, some students say changes in the department have reduced faculty mentorship.

Some language instructors, however, said they have doubts that the courses will be able to replace traditional programs Cornell eliminated through budget cuts.

Despite prolonged opposition from emergency responders, the Ithaca Common Council approved an amended version of Mayor Svante Myrick’s ’09 budget Wednesday, closing the city’s $3 million deficit through a mixture of spending cuts and revenue increases.

Low staffing levels in the police department hampered its efforts to respond to the shooting of an officer earlier this month, according to officers who warned that proposed budget cuts to the Ithaca Police Department could exacerbate the challenges city police face.

The cuts could potentially slash millions of dollars in financial aid grants for Cornell.

"Firefighters' safety will suffer," one officer said in protest at a City Hall meeting Tuesday.

After the University announced in the fall that the individual majors of theater, film and dance will be consolidated into a single performing arts major next year, some students have expressed dissatisfaction with the imminent elimination of  the distinct degrees.

Despite a new agreement reached with Ithaca College that allows Cornell students to pursue I.C.’s Master of Arts in Teaching, some remained concerned about the future of education instruction at the University.