With Election Day just around the corner, Gov. Mark R. Warner and University President John T. Casteen III are reiterating their support of the proposed statewide higher education bond that will appear on ballots this Tuesday.
If a majority of voters favor the bond referendum, it will provide funds totaling over $900 million to pay for capital projects for Virginia's state-supported colleges, universities and museums.
"The governor has been supportive of the bond referendum," Warner spokeswoman Ellen Qualls said. "It is a good time to take advantage of low interest rates and make long-term investments."
Virginia's Deputy Secretary of Education Peter Blake also expressed support for the bond referendum.
"If the state wants to make long-term capital investments, the best and cheapest way to do this is through a general obligation bond," Blake said.
In a final attempt to mobilize voters and support for the referendum, Casteen will conduct radio and television presentations on Nov. 4, the day before elections. He also will send out one or two e-mails reminding faculty and staff to vote.
"The schedule for Monday and Tuesday is somewhat open because we are allowing as much time as possible for last-minute contacts that might make a difference," Casteen said.
If passed, part of the bond referendum will be used to fund construction and renovation for the state's universities and colleges, such as the expansion of classrooms and labs to accommodate an expected increase in higher education enrollment, Blake said.
"We are expecting a 10 percent increase in enrollment rates over the next 10 years," Qualls said. "If we don't take advantage of the bond, we will miss a good opportunity and risk falling behind in research and development."
The bond referendum will issue a specific amount to each college and university. The University is designated to receive over $68 million for nine different building projects, according to University spokeswoman Louise Dudley.
A recent poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc. indicates, however, that University officials might not have much to worry about.
The poll, conducted by telephone last weekend, found that 57 percent of 625 randomly selected voters said they would vote in favor of the bond referendum. The poll had a 4 percent sampling error.
"The poll showed that support was strong throughout the state," Mason-Dixon Managing Director J. Bradford Coker said. "Support was strongest in the Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads areas, but there was a majority of favor in every region of the state."
Coker said the bond referendum most likely will pass.
"There was a pretty sizeable majority indicating that people will vote yes," he said. "You really need to have your vote over 50 percent to have a chance, but I would suspect that based on these numbers this bond will pass."
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