Del. Valley schools hit hard (by cuts), vow to band together

Officials at universities from around the Delaware Valley said yesterday that they will be hit hard by the Casey administration's proposed budget cuts and would ask the state legislature to restore their decimated allocations. And spokespeople from Drexel University, Temple University and Thomas Jefferson University said that if the legislature fails to do so, programs at the universities may face severe cutbacks. The University was the big loser in terms of absolute dollars for the proposed Fiscal Year 1992 budget, losing over $18 million, a drop of 49 percent. But Drexel University's cut of $3.5 million is a drop of 60 percent Thomas Jefferson University could lose $3.2 million, a fall of 30 percent, and the Casey budget requests that Temple University's allocation be frozen at last year's $139.6 million, with no increase to account for inflation. Drexel President Richard Breslin said yesterday that "[The cut is] unwarranted, unjustified and unfair." Breslin said representatives from the University, Drexel, and teaching hospitals such as Hahnemann Medical College and Jefferson met Wednesday to discuss how to deal with the cuts. Breslin said Drexel may join with the other schools to petition the legislature for more funding. However, Drexel will be forced to plan its budget for next year without counting on an increase from the legislature. Breslin said that such budgeting would probably involve cutting some programs which would "not impact the academic integrity of our offerings." He said he does not know which programs would be affected. The Temple administration will send a representative to Harrisburg soon to ask the legislature for more money, Temple spokesperson George Ingram said yesterday. In a statement released Wednesday, Temple President Peter Liacouras said that his administration is "disappointed" that the Casey budget allows no funding increase to account for inflation. The statement also said that the freeze in funds follows $19 million in cuts this year and that the administration may have to consider lay-offs and eliminating programs. At Thomas Jefferson University, Vice President for Government Relations Stephanie Naroff said in a statement released Wednesday that the proposed state cuts will have significant impact. "It will hurt enormously; make no mistake about it," the statement read. "It could seriously impair our ability to carry out our mission." "We hope that our legislature will find some way to restore the funding to the institutions which are so important to the well-being of the Commonwealth," the statement concluded. Drexel president Breslin said he and representatives from other schools, including President Sheldon Hackney, will meet Monday to make further plans. He said that "strength in numbers" will bolster each leader's plea for restoration of funds. Breslin said this coalition might include other state-aided schools, but it would not include Temple which is a state-affiliated school.

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