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Constantly Climbing Enrollment

The study equates the financial problems of
universities with the inflationary problems of
the national economy. These problems have
been complicated, the association states, by
'constantly climbing enrollment."

"University resources," the survey
continues, "become less adequate each year to
cope with these growing, demands. Simple
comparisons of the number of universities
reporting standstill state appropriations and
standstill operating budgets in 1970-71 and
1971-72 quickly show that the campus
situation has grown much more critical since
Fall 1970."

Fifty-six per cent of the early responses in
the current survey received state appropriations
below the ten per cent standstill requirement.
In last year's study, 38.5 per cent of those
polled received less than the 10 per cent
increase.

Extreme economy measures, made
necessary by cuts in appropriations," the report
continues," often mean overcrowded
classrooms, a smaller choice of courses, fewer
teachers and a dearth of new programs."

Unusual Steps Taken

The number of institutions operating in the
red, according to the study, would have been
much larger if universities had not taken
unusual steps to avert deficits. These measures,
the survey explained, could in many cases be
made only once.

"When state appropriations to public
universities decline or remain static," the survey
concludes, "academic quality is seriously
threatened."