In the second of several planned sessions on the condition of the University budget, President John T. Casteen III addressed students, faculty, staff and media in Newcomb Hall Theater yesterday.
Casteen discussed the effects of the 13 percent budget cuts instituted by Gov. Mark R. Warner in October, saying it was necessary to "emphasize funds from many different sources" to reduce dependence on state allocations in the future.
"No one has ever appropriated as little [to higher education] as Virginia does in history," Casteen said, adding that "the next capital campaign is essential."
Following the example of the Darden and Law schools, Casteen also said it was important for other schools to begin "self-sufficiency campaigns to produce better base support." The College and the Architecture School still are very dependent on state funding, he said.
Casteen also established the priorities of the University when considering budget cuts. The main concerns are to "support undergraduate teaching" and "preserve central course offerings and sections" despite the shortfall, he said.
The current state budget crisis could have been worse for the University were it not for a program of budget reductions begun in the early 1990s, Casteen said. A lot of those savings have come from faculty, he added.
"We do not have excess employees," Casteen said. "Obviously, we can get by crippled, but we want to avoid having to do that."
This past year there was a large decrease in minority faculty, he added.
"A hiring freeze is a good short-term measure, but over time it eats away at quality," Casteen said. "We would like to begin hiring again where we can afford to do it."
To put the budget cuts in perspective, Warner told The Cavalier Daily in a teleconference call last month that the state could entirely eliminate funding for the University, as well as for William & Mary, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University and James Madison University and and the budget still would be $10 million short.
Casteen added that the University's reputation stems from its quality of instruction.
"Our brand has to do with the quality of what we give the students," Casteen said. "Students are not only part of this community, but are also customers to serve."
Casteen also announced a $385 spring semester tuition surcharge that will offset $5.9 million of the budget cuts.
"All institutions have taken some additional tuition adjustments," he said. "The increase will go to support core academic programs."
Colette Sheehy, vice president for management and budget, followed Casteen's presentation with specific numbers detailing the University's financial situation.
Next year, state funding per in-state student will fall to $8,860 from $12,695 this year, giving the University the "highest percentage cuts of any institution along with William & Mary," Sheehy said. The state does not support out-of-state students, she added.
Casteen and Sheehy joined Leonard W. Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer and Provost Gene Block in a panel to field questions from faculty and staff members who attended the meeting.
Many in attendance voiced concerns about how the budget cuts will affect state-funded personnel. One employee said he was told that workers would have to go "three years without a raise."
Although he does not directly control non-faculty salaries, Casteen said he was sympathetic to worker's concerns adding that they were "all in the same boat."
The current budget situation has not left "much room for frills" Casteen said. "The University is a poster child for underfunding."
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