Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 9, 1992 TAG: 9201090629
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
TECH'S PROGRAMS HIT HARD
Virginia Tech's extension service, at the heart of the university's mission to serve the public with information about agriculture and home economics, took a powerful hit in Gov. Douglas Wilder's proposed state budget.So did the Center for Innovative Technology, an agency that works to develop high-technology industry in Virginia. Based in Northern Virginia, the CIT has branches throughout the state, including one at Tech.
The budget proposal, released by Wilder's office Wednesday afternoon, "contained little good news" for higher education, said Radford University President Donald Dedmon.
There were no raises for state employees and no extra money for much-needed capital projects.
Extension representatives were told they would bear some of the 900 projected layoffs for state employees. The people they serve would have to expect fewer services.
"The university is concerned that over 100 positions could be affected," said Darrel Martin, assistant to the president at Tech. "Those positions aren't just initials on someone's budget chart - they are dedicated, compassionate university employees."
Martin did not know, however, how many people the university would have to lay off.
"Lower-priority" programs, as determined by the 1992 General Assembly, would no longer be funded by the state, Wilder said in his proposal. They included home gardening, lawn care, home horticulture and care of family pets, homemaking services and community planning.
Services to the agriculture industry, 4-H and other higher-priority programs, however, would not be affected.
Proposed cuts to Tech's extension division would result in spending $12.2 million less than what it would cost to continue services at their current level in 1992-94.
"We're not presuming all this is set in stone," Martin said. Administrators had been expecting extension to be a target, but the suggested size of the reduction was a surprise.
Tech, like other universities in the state, was told two months ago to prepare plans to cut 5 percent from its budget over the next three years - 3 percent for the remainder of this fiscal year and a further 2 percent in 1992-93, and no increase in 1993-94.
Officials are assuming, as they have been since the start, that the cuts will be imposed.
Meanwhile Wednesday, agricultural interests prepared to fight for the extension service in the legislature, which will take Wilder's spending proposal and ultimately produce a state budget for him to sign.
Wilder's proposals still "will be alarming to our members," said Wayne Ashworth, president of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. The bureau is the state's largest farmers' organization, with roughly 100,000 family members.
"We are adamantly opposed to these tremendous cuts," Ashworth said.
He won't be alone in Richmond.
Student leaders Wednesday were planning their own trips to the state capital to oppose cuts in higher education and proposed tuition increases.
"We need to emphasize how badly we need to keep our costs down," said Melissa Browning, student government president at Radford. The governor's budget had included authority for universities and colleges to raise tuition up to 24 percent over the next two years.
"It's very discouraging," she said.
Administrators said being able to raise tuition would give them a certain freedom and keep their programs top-notch.
"We support what the governor's done," said Gordon Davies, head of the State Council for Higher Education. "It would have been delightful if the general fund had money to give us, but it didn't."
Tuition and fee increases "will at least give us money for library books and equipment and make sure the system doesn't degrade," he said.
They also will make parents and students more responsible for their higher education.
There is a public policy debate, Davies said, of whether higher education is a social good or a personal good. "We believe it's a social good. But with no money, it's hard to do anything else," he said.
The lack of money also ruled out salary increases for state employees, although Wilder did propose curbing insurance costs and said raises would be a priority if the money "miraculously" became available.
"There are some serious things here, obviously," Davies said. "And the cuts to extension and the CIT are serious."
In Wilder's proposed budget, the Center for Innovative Technology would be cut by 30 percent in 1992-93, with no funding allocated for 1993-94.
Legislative review may lead to funding for 1994 at a later date, said former Gov. Linwood Holton, president of the CIT. With luck, he said, things will be different by the time the session is over.
"I realize it takes some faith," Holton said. "But I don't think they're trying to kill us. I hope they're not."
It will be difficult to get the legislature to amend its budget to add the money for 1994 if it's not there in the first place, college administrators said.
Holton agreed. "It gives us reason for some very serious concern." Still, he said, "I think we will survive. We can withstand any examination."
Gary Hooper, vice provost for research, said the CIT is instrumental in helping the state's universities obtain grants from companies.
The CIT, through its contacts, matches up researchers with industries, working as a broker. It also kicks in some funding. "It's not a fast return," Hooper said. "But it's a long-range gain for economic development."
The move to take away funding would be shortsighted, said James Stewart, who works with technology transfer for the CIT out of New River Community College in Dublin.
"Good gracious," he said. "This is ridiculous.
"What they're saying, by doing this, is that tomorrow is not important, that we're not going to worry about growing tomorrow," Stewart said. "This may seem like a quick fix, but it can't be good for the state."
There were some bright spots: a total of more than $111,000 for a science and technology college at James Madison University and for a global studies college at Radford University.
"If the planning on those had stopped, it would've been deadly. . . . We'd worked on those, but there were no guarantees," Davies said.
Wilder has said repeatedly that he would make education a priority during his term as governor.
"There are two years of his tenure left," Martin said. "There's hope there.
Staff writer Greg Edwards contributed to this story.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.