Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 2, 1995 TAG: 9511020063
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Andy Swiger, dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia Tech, talked about nearly $20 million in state budget cuts over the past six years in his college, agricultural research and the Cooperative Extension Service. He also said Extension needs to start charging for some popular programs such as "master gardener" education.
Swiger said his organization has some really big "black holes" right now because of the loss of experienced and highly regarded faculty whose jobs may not be filled. A state buyout for professors and another severance program for staff have left agricultural programs at Tech short 131 people, whom the college is paying more than $6 million not to work this year, Swiger said.
"I don't believe we've been 'right-sized'; I believe we've been downsized too far," he said.
Swiger said that in its next state budget request, Tech will not ask for new funds or programs for agriculture, but will ask that the college not be required, for the first time in six years, to take a budget cut. Some good news, he said, is that budget cutters in Washington, D.C., will not take as big a chunk as expected out of the $10 million in federal funds Tech gets annually for research and extension programs.
In a sense, Swiger was preaching to the choir. The Farm Bureau regularly lobbies the legislature and governor for support of agricultural programs run by Tech.
Wednesday's meeting marked the last policy discussion before the state's largest farmers' organization votes on its policy positions at its annual meeting, which will be held in Williamsburg on the last three days of this month. Besides Virginia Tech's budget, the primary issues of interest to farmers are private property rights and the environment, Farm Bureau spokesman Greg Hicks said.
by CNB