THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 10, 1994 TAG: 9412090040
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
In September Gov. George Allen warned Virginia's public colleges that any institution failing to submit an acceptable restructuring plan by November would be subject to a 1995-96 budget cut of 2 percent to 6 percent.
``Acceptable'' meant approval by the State Council of Higher Education and Mr. Allen's education secretary, Beverly H. Sgro. But last month the council rejected the plans of six schools, claiming they had failed to address adequately such matters as streamlining administration, better emphasizing undergraduate education and saving money.
Norfolk State and Radford universities and Longwood and Mary Washington colleges promptly sent in revisions, which the council's staff has recommended for approval. (Revised plans from Christopher Newport and Virginia State universities are expected in January.)
Given the staff's favorable nod, the four revised plans will probably be accepted at the council's Dec. 13 meeting. But Ms. Sgro says this doesn't mean the schools will be spared the budget axe.
Her press secretary, Kari Walter, put it this way: ``As stated before, the governor has made it clear and continues to make clear that colleges and universities that did not submit acceptable plans by the deadline could be subject to budget cuts. If they are being penalized, it's because they didn't make the deadline.''
How did Virginia's higher-education system, which many consider a model for other states, become the commonwealth's whipping boy of the '90s? Certainly the colleges didn't cause the economic downturn that battered the 1990-92 state budget. But former Gov. Douglas Wilder tagged higher education for a disproportionate share of the funding cuts and then turned nasty to the college presidents. Now the Allen administration is taking a pouty position one might expect of 5-year-olds.
Hey, Governor, the educators are the good guys, the ones in the white hats, for goodness' sake. Ease off. by CNB