Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 15, 1991                   TAG: 9104150336
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

1ST YEAR'S EFFORTS

Demanded that state universities remove any South Africa-related securities from their endowment funds.

> Refused to approve college building programs paid for by student fees, calling them unnecessary.

Exerted unprecedented state control over public college tuitions, insisting that colleges make budget cuts before balancing their budgets with higher student fees. Even with this approach, though, college tuitions are expected to rise this year more than they have since the mid-1980s.

Urged professors to spend more time teaching and less on research, igniting a furor in the academic community. To reinforce the point, Wilder cut a $250,000 state appropriation to the University of Virginia's Center for Advanced Studies. He called it a place where professors were paid not to teach.

Cut more than $150 million from public school subsidies for 1991-92, then restored $15 million after finding other funds elsewhere in the state budget.

Slashed and reorganized the state Department of Education, eliminating nearly one-third of the professional-level jobs and redesigning the department to be less a regulatory agency and more a servant of local school systems.

Appointed a commission to study the gap between Virginia's rich and poor schools. No action has been taken on the panel's recommendations.

Promised to provide state funds for preschool programs for disadvantaged children. But the administration has not found the money to expand on pilot projects in a handful of schools.

Withheld state funds for teacher raises this year but promised to restore the raises when the state budget picture clears.

- Landmark News Service