University of Virginia Library

Budget II

Virginia's House of Delegates turned a deaf
ear to the University's urgent budget requests
this week. In response to President Shannon's
plea for a restoration of approximately $5
million dollars of the money cut from the
University's original request to the Godwin
Administration, the House actually cut an
additional $454,000 from the already
parsimonious Godwin suggestions.

Governor Godwin's original budget has
allotted $38 million in maintenance and
operating expense in response to the
University's request for $49 million. President
Shannon asked for a restoration of $2 million
dollars to finance a faculty salary increase,
new faculty positions, clerical personnel, and
new administrators in student services. The
legislators cut $454,000 from the originally
suggested $38 million appropriation, and
suggested that the University raise an
additional million from other sources - in
other words, raise its tuition. But even a $1
million tuition increase will leave the
University $1.5 million short of what
President Shannon characterized as the bare
minimum necessary for operation in the
coming biennium.

On the capital outlay side of the ledger,
the President had requested the restoration of
$2.8 million for a vitally needed computer as
well as approximately $600,000 to enable the
University to at least get started on planning
for buildings that the state could not fund at
present due to the prevailing rates of interest.
The House turned down both requests,
although it did include planning money for a
new Physics Building in the state's general
fund.

Unless the State Senate acts more
favorably on the University's requests, two
things are liable to happen. The University
will seek to raise tuition high enough to make
up the revenues needed in its maintenance and
operating budget. Now, a modest increase is
expectable - tuition hasn't gone up in four
years. But the increases needed to make up
for the House's niggardliness could go as high
as $250 per year for out-of-state students and
$150 for Virginia residents.

Moreover, as University Relations Director
Paul Saunier stated yesterday, the planning
money cut is essential if the University is to
meet its projected enrollment for the next
decade without making serious sacrifices in
the quality of the education offered here.
Obviously, the University's lobbyists in the
Senate are going to have their work cut out
for them in the days remaining before the
legislature recesses on March 14.