Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 20, 1994 TAG: 9412200090
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALLISON BLAKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Radford University's experimental New College of Global Studies, which had expected to get $2 million next year, was discarded altogether.
"We've gone from devastation to destruction," said Andy Swiger, dean of Tech's College of Agriculture, which oversees the extension service, which has lost 300 jobs since 1990.
If approved by the General Assembly, the Tech cuts would be about a third of the 1,100 layoffs Allen has proposed to balance the budget.
Among the proposed cuts:
$7.3 million from the extension service, the community-based consulting program to farmers and families. That could threaten 275 jobs statewide, according to university estimates.
$4.9 million from Tech's agricultural and forestry research programs, which could cost another 85 jobs. Together, the losses equal 30 percent of state tax funding for the two Tech programs.
$700,000 from Tech's planned corporate training center at the Hotel Roanoke, set to open this spring.
A cutoff of for Radford's global college, set to open in fall 1995.
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of," said state Sen. Madison Marye, D-Shawsville, who said the cuts at Tech and Radford were a surprise: "I had expected a minor hit on [the extension service], but I wasn't expecting anything like that."
Marye championed a $3 million restoration to the service when the Wilder administration proposed deep cuts.
"They just started [planning] the college of global studies last year. I don't know how much money we've spent on that, but we're certainly going to waste a lot of money on that," Marye said.
Education Secretary Beverly Sgro said that in the budget, "We're very clearly honing in on what we can do to support the academic mission of the institutions."
For example, Tech is expecting $310.7 million from the state next year, a 1.4 percent increase for instruction - apart from extension and research .
Sgro said cuts were made in programs considered duplicative.
Of Radford's global college, for example, she said, "We're not convinced there's a demand for that kind of program at all. If there were one, I wonder why a global studies program with an international focus would be [located in an area] remote from international activity." Sgro said the building could be put to good use as dormitory space in the coming years as Radford grows.
Allen's predicted cut to the colleges that failed to submit solid restructuring plans by October was also in his plan; Radford, one of six that missed the deadline, will lose $1.6 million if Allen has his way.
by CNB