Your article, "Campuses face threat of closings" in The Daily Collegian yesterday, raised some of the issues that have been concerning administrators for the past two years. Unfortunately, much of the information provided by Commonwealth Educational System administrators comes short of giving the complete picture. As a student dealing with CES issues for the past three years, and a member of Senior Vice President and Dean of the CES Robert Dunham's CES Futures Committee, I saw several inconsistencies in the article.

Student Affairs Director Larry Pollock's assessment of the situation at New Kensington Campus is quite misinformed in light of his "We have not experienced any cutbacks" statement, since a look at the PSU operating budget shows that while New Kensignton's total campus budget increased by $191,000 this year, the student affair budget decreased by $101,000. This is typical of what students are seeing at the campuses.

Allenton Campus Executive Office Jack Cooney was correct in his assertion that his campus operates efficiently, given the difficulty of maintaining economies of scale with 480 students. But his attitude does not come to grips with the issue of quality. For years, the CES has complained about the image of being a sub-class of Penn State education, claiming the shortcomings of a small-campus setting are offset by the benefits of small classes and a community setting.

Be realistic -- how many students are willing to pay PSU's skyrocketing tuition to attend a campus with one or two buildings and 500 students? Furthermore, are we even treating these students fairly when we promise them Penn State quality and then watch administration cut programs and services to make up for poor management?

It is time for the administration to end the self-perpetuating rhetoric of enrollment projections that have no basis in reality or rational thought. For the past several years, they have justified their mismanagement by blaming declining enrollments. Sooner or later, the administration will realize they can't manage a system based on empty projections.

I am proud of the education I received at the DuBois Campus, but with the "budget problems" in the CES I wonder how long quality can be maintained. Dunham shuffles the allocation of money to campuses based on two factors: Enrollment and efficiency of operation. Taking money from a campus that already is not running efficiently will not teach a lesson or encourage them to shape up, but will instead result in cuts across the board at the campus.

Dunham has not gotten through to the CEOs that merely increasing enrollment projections does not justify status quo budgeting. I have seen this policy in effect on many occasions, and it just doesn't work. Maybe it is time to quit hiring academic types to administer budgets in a business-type enterprise and get some managers who know a little about fiscal responsibility.