Amid an already packed list of proposed University budget cuts, the Student Health Center is contemplating whether or not to reduce its hours of operation.

Robert Hayford, associate director of Student Health Services, said the proposal process would take several weeks. He did not say what the new proposed hours would be.

The Student Senate has been in talks with the Student Health Center about operations cuts for several weeks. Stephen Kouba, Student Senate president and a senior in political science,said he met with Hayford one-on-one.

Hayford brought up the idea of cutting hours at their meeting as “something that could happen,” according to Kouba. The Student Health Center has not submitted anything on paper.

“Right now we [the Student Senate] are working on an alternate proposal for the Student Health Center,” Kouba said. “We certainly understand that the cost of healthcare has been difficult to manage, including our health center.”

Hayford declined further comment on the issue, saying he preferred not to talk about the proposed cut in hours until after the proposal process.

“He [Hayford] is waiting on what we have to say,” Kouba said. “He’s not going to wait two months for us to come out with a proposal, but he is certainly waiting for the Senate to offer some kind of student prospective before they make a final decision on what they think they should do.”

The Student Senate does not support a decrease in hours at the center, according to Kouba.

“We are willing to work with the Student Health Center to outline a plan that it is the most cost-effective for the Student Health Center and most beneficial for [students],” Kouba said.

Currently the Student Health Center is open with full service Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The nurse clinic is open Monday through Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. when a physician is on call. There is a “physician present” on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., according to the University website.

Jeremy Freeman, a first-year graduate student in computer engineering, said he visits the Health Center about once a semester.

“It’s usually not difficult for me to get an appointment,” Freeman said. “There were nine other appointments available for today when I made my appointment.”

Freeman has health insurance not provided by the University, but he still prefers to come to the Student Health Center on campus. The convenience is what draws him, according to Freeman.

Dharmesh Khant, a junior in biochemistry, said he feels the Student Health Center’s hours are adequate but inconvenient for students. Class and other obligations make it difficult for students to get to the center when it is open, according to Khant.

“I have classes until 4 [p.m.],” Khant said. “I think [a cut in hours] would be a problem, because right now they close at around 5. It would be kind of a hassle to come straight here.”

Like Freeman, Khant said he usually has no problem getting an appointment.

“I usually get [an appointment] on the same day I ask for it,” Khant said.

Stephanie Coccaro, a freshman in First Year College, said she is not from Raleigh, and the Student Health Center is the only doctor she visits while at school.

“The Student Health Center is right across the street [from the first-year dorms],” Coccaro said. “It’s really the only place I go.”

Health insurance has been available through the University since the fall of 2010. Students are able to use that insurance at select healthcare providers off-campus, according to Kouba.

“There are other options for students,” Kouba said. “Of course it does cost money, but with the way student insurance is laid out, [students] should be able to find a relatively reasonable price for any sort of minor medical attention.”