University of Virginia Library

Stone Proposes Fairer Distribution
Of State College Education Funds

By BARBARA BROWNELL

"The University of Virginia
and Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University,
with their powerful friends in
the legislature, have
traditionally received pretty
much what they demanded at
budget making time, with
smaller schools getting what's
left."

State Senator William F. Stone
(D-Martinsville) thus addressed
the state Faculty Senate at
Virginia Commonwealth
University in Richmond
Saturday

"Stressing that an "equalization"
board" necessary for the fair
distribution of college funds,
Mr. Stone called for a
15-member policy body from
the Commission on Higher
Education which would be
given "full power to bring
about cooperation among all
state institutions."

Comprised of the chairman of
the House Appropriations
Committee, the Senate Finance
Committee, and the Board of
Community Colleges, a
representative of a major
university, and 11 public
members, the committee
would insure that all "receive
their share of the tax dollar on
a priority basis."

Cocktail Party Diplomacy

After his first election to the
legislature in 1954, Mr. Stone
recalls U.V.A. and V.P.I.
cocktail parties, where "they
told us what they had to
have... and the rest just trickled
down to the smaller schools."

"I thought then and I feel
more strongly now." he
added, "that there must be a
better way to appropriate fax
revenues. The day when
administrators could come
before the legislature and get
unlimited funds is past."

"In my opinion, college and
University administrators
should stop their lobbying
efforts and go before a
qualified and impartial board
to justify their requests," he
said.

Reduce Out-Of-State

Mr. Stone also voiced hope
that a new policy body would
help 'create better curriculum
control to avoid duplication of
courses, guarantee better year
round utilization of facilities,
and reduce out-of-state
enrollment to make way for
more qualified Virginians.'

I can't understand why the
University of Virginia, Mary
Washington, and William and
Mary have such high
out-of-state enrollments when
they can fill up with in-state
students, said Mr. Stone.

'U.V.A.'s 40 per cent
out-of-state enrollment is the
highest of any state university
in the nation.'

As an advocate of educational
expense reduction, Mr. Stone
suggests that his commission
take measures in re-merging
V.P.I. and Radford College,
increasing the faculty teaching
loads, discouraging enrollment
of reluctant students,
dispensing with unnecessary
doctoral programs, and
reducing the time needed to
graduate.