Official hope U. will receive state funding

All eyes at the University are focused on Harrisburg this morning. After two straight years of neglecting the University in his budget proposals to the Pennsylvania state legislature, Gov. Robert Casey will announce today whether he plans to give the University any state money during the 1995 fiscal year. And University officials hope this year will be different. Executive Vice President Janet Hale said yesterday that the University requested close to $30 million from the state for fiscal year 1995. During last year's state budget announcement, the governor gave the University none of the $42 million it requested from the Commonwealth, and did not even mention the University in his address. Last spring, the University received retroactive appropriations when the state legislature granted close to $30 million, only a supplemental fraction of the original amount the University requested. All money awarded by the state today would go into a general University fund, which among other things specifically targets the Medical School, the Veterinary School and the Dental School's clinics, Vice President for Finance Stephen Golding said. In previous years, the Vet School has been a sore spot in the state budget, and Vet School officials will pay particular attention to this morning's budgetary proposals. As of December 31, the University projected a deficit of $2 million that stemmed from a general University loan to the school. A larger appropriation today for the next fiscal year could alleviate the University-wide unrestricted loss. In the past, the Vet School has struggled to justify its continued need for funding, officials said. Jeffrey Roberts, associate dean for planning and development for the school, said he is optimistic about today's announcement from the governor. Roberts said the state relies heavily on the Vet School's positive impact on Pennsylvania's economy and said he hopes the state will react accordingly. "Pennsylvania agriculture has been the foundation for the rest of the state's economy for some 300 years," he said. The University's Vet School is just one of two private vet schools in the country. "Because we're a private institution, it makes us very vulnerable to lost funds," Roberts added. Golding said a lot of financial pressure is put on the Vet School when the Commonwealth's appropriations are withdrawn, reduced or even held constant. "But over the last couple of years, we feel that we've demonstrated more than enough justification to the Commonwealth," Golding said. Even if this year's proposals are a repeat of the last two, Roberts said the Vet School will manage somehow. "Even if the governor's message is not what we want to hear, I think the school feels very positive about its future," he said.