ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 22, 1996 TAG: 9601220019
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PHILIP WALZER LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
VIRGINIA'S BUSINESS LEADERS and university presidents are pushing for more money for higher education than Gov. George Allen is proposing.
Virginia's college presidents have banded together to ask legislators for an additional $330 million in state aid for higher education for the next two years. The money would be used primarily for faculty raises, computers and financial aid.
Gov. George Allen includes a $475 million increase for colleges in his $3.1 billion budget for higher education in 1996-98. But the presidents, echoing other critics, say the plan provides only $105 million more in day-to-day expenses for state-supported colleges. They say the remaining money either goes for construction, which is separate from daily expenses, or had already been promised to them last year.
``We're not complaining about what the governor has done,'' said Old Dominion University's president, James Koch. ``We just think we need more.''
The presidents' request establishes the upper limits in the debate over funding, which is expected to be among the top budgetary issues facing the General Assembly. The presidents themselves cannot submit amendments to Allen's budget, but friendly legislators are expected to file amendments soon that reflect the presidents' thinking.
The General Assembly could then choose Allen's version, the presidents' plan or, most likely, something in between. With support mounting for some increase in funding, after years of cuts, the legislators are unlikely to reduce the amount Allen has proposed.
``There certainly has been a hue and cry, and legitimately so, that higher education's gotten the brunt of cuts over the last six years. It's really put them at a competitive disadvantage,'' said Sen. Warren Barry, R-Fairfax County, chairman of the Education and Health Committee and a member of the Finance Committee.
Barry said he supports adding money for such items as raises and computers, but added: ``The bottom line that we're confronted with is, where does the money come from? Even though funding of education has become the popular issue, we're going to have to address what the real needs are on a priority basis.''
The presidents' plan does not say where the extra money would come from. It dovetails with that of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, a coalition of business leaders led by Northern Virginia developer Til Hazel.
Hazel has been pushing for a $435 million increase for higher education in 1996-98. That, he said, would elevate Virginia to the Southern average in per-student funding. In the last seven years, Virginia has fallen from 28th to 43rd in the country in funding per student.
Most of the college presidents' recommendations also coincide with those of the State Council of Higher Education, the agency overseeing colleges, which had asked Allen for bigger funding increases.
The $330 million increase supported by the presidents would come in five areas:
Faculty raises. The presidents want to increase the amount allotted for faculty raises from $14 million to $100 million. Allen's proposal would give faculty a 4 percent bonus, but no raise, in 1996-97, and an average raise of 5 percent in 1997-98. Koch said the presidents' plan could provide raises of 7 percent each year.
That would mean that average salaries at individual institutions in the state would exceed those at 60 percent of similar colleges in the country. Most Virginia colleges were at that level in the late '80s, but after years of small raises, they have fallen to the bottom third of the rankings.
Financial aid. Allen has not budgeted additional money for financial aid for students at state-supported colleges. The presidents want an extra $31 million.
That, Hazel said, would allow Virginia to meet 50 percent of students' financial-aid needs, which the state council has listed as its goal. With double-digit tuition increases in the early '90s, that percentage has fallen to 35 percent.
The presidents would not touch the $9 million increase Allen has proposed for Tuition Assistance Grants, given to Virginians who go to private colleges in the state.
Technology. Allen has proposed a $50 million bond program for computers and another $1 million in funding. The presidents want $99 million more in cash. That, Koch said, would pay for networking campuses and more microcomputers.
Hazel warned, ``If Virginia's institutions do not make substantial technological advancements in the next two years, we will be playing catch-up for a very long time.''
Equipment. Allen, Koch said, would discontinue the Higher Education Equipment Trust Fund, but colleges still need that money to buy equipment that isn't high-tech. The presidents are seeking $36 million.
Individual items. Allen's budget lists $14 million in additions for particular colleges. The presidents would add $78 million.
It would be up to the legislators to decide how much individual institutions receive.
Eugene Trani, president of Virginia Commonwealth University, recently sent a memo to the college presidents and to Gordon Davies, director of the State Council of Higher Education, outlining their agreed-on numbers. Trani leads the Council of Presidents representing state-supported schools.
The memo also said the presidents would coordinate a series of presentations to the legislature's finance committees to press their case.
Koch said he couldn't say whether a majority of the General Assembly would support the entire plan. But he added, ``Certainly, the atmosphere for higher education is more friendly now than for some years, particularly in terms of faculty salaries. Many people understand the battle we've been running into.''
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