THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 11, 1995 TAG: 9509110069
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: CHARLESTON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
The Citadel could save taxpayers $17 million a year and keep its corps of cadets all-male if it became a private, rather than public, military college, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Going private, however, would force the school to dramatically raise tuition, cut programs and tap its endowment, The Post and Courier of Charleston reported, citing its own analysis from figures provided by The Citadel.
Citadel officials say going private would come at too great a cost.
Calvin Lyons, vice president for finance and business affairs, said he discussed the idea of going private with the college's Board of Visitors in 1994. The board decided the option was not viable.
``As far as we're concerned, the issue has fairly been put to bed,'' said James E. Jones Jr., chairman of The Citadel board.
According to the school's figures, The Citadel would need an extra $17 million a year if it went private. That would match the amount taxpayers now kick in to educate Citadel cadets.
To make up the loss of state money, The Post and Courier said The Citadel would have to:
Raise tuition, room and board and other fees to about $17,000 per year, up from between $8,000 and $15,000. The current level depends on where a student is from and what year he is in.
Cut its instruction budget by 2 percent.
Cut 5 percent from the administration and operations and maintenance budgets.
Get a $4.5 million-per-year contribution from the college's two endowment funds, the Citadel Development Foundation and the Citadel Trust.
Going private would be made much more difficult if the Legislature refused to donate property to the school. Lawmakers who want The Citadel to admit women have said they would eagerly agree to let the school take over the state-owned buildings.
Jones said the school might have to revisit the issue of going private if the U.S. Supreme Court refuses to let it or the Virginia Military Institute keep a male-only admissions policy.
Virginia and South Carolina have created alternate programs for women in response to a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling.
The Citadel will not ``close the book on anything that will allow us to maintain The Citadel in the manner it has been over the years,'' Jones said.
Even if The Citadel went private, it might not end the legal war.
``It be similar to when schools were closed back in the '50s and '60s because of desegregation,'' said Valorie Vojdik, one of the lawyers for Shannon Faulkner, the Powdersville woman who dropped out of The Citadel last month after a week in the cadet corps. ``It would be a transparent effort to deny education to someone who is entitled to it.'' by CNB