University President Joab Thomas asked the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments to voice concerns at its meeting Saturday, and found students addressing a common problem -- money.

Allentown and McKeesport campuses were ones that Robert Dunham, senior vice president and dean of the Commonwealth Educational System, said earlier this month may close due to decreased enrollment and financial problems.

At the meeting, Thomas emphatically denied campuses would close, and said no campuses will close while he is president. But some students were still concerned with Commonwealth Campuses' status and continuing financial problems.

Jason Kamel, Student Government Assocation respresentative from Hazelton Campus and CCSG's University Faculty Senate representative, asked Thomas about construction delays of a dorm at Hazelton Campus.

James Staudenmeier, Hazelton Campus chief executive officer, said there is no current dorm project because dorm building is on hold University-wide.

"We usually have a waiting list of about 100 people, which is made up of in- and out-of-state students, and a new dorm would take care of that problem," he said.

The Hazelton Campus continues to recruit out-of-state students, but can't retain these students because there is no place for them to live, Kamel added.

"The campuses, because they are so lean, have less places to cut," Thomas added, citing student activity funds as one area campus CEOs can cut.

Thomas pointed fingers at the state for the University's lack of money. He told the students that the University receives less money per student than all other Big Ten universities, and therefore budget cuts are necessary.

The University operates with about the same amount of money per student as it did in 1970-71, according to the University's 1992-93 budget presentation.

Thomas said construction costs at Commonwealth Campuses are a lot higher than at University Park, but the University attempts to spread construction out among all campuses. He cited the new library at Penn State Harrisburg and the HUB/Robeson expansion project as the top two projects this year.

Ben Stevenson, CCSG coordinator, asked about the student-enhancement fund incorporated into the tuition. The fund, started during 1985-86, is supposed to be used to set up student activities at each campus.

"After looking at the operating budget, I found other campuses' CEOs are not making an effort to keep those funds permanently allocated for the students," Stevenson said, citing New Kensington, McKeesport and Hazelton campuses.

Staudenmeier said a student, faculty and staff committee at his campus meets to determine how much money they need. But administrators decide how much money they can give them.

"I usually go with the amount they request," Staudenmeier said, adding that he does not think that is a problem.

But Thomas blamed the campus CEOs for not allocating money to students' activities, saying each campus allocates money as it sees fit.

"Every campus thinks they are being short-changed," he said.

After more than an hour of questions, some students thought Thomas didn't give them straight answers. Both Stevenson and Scott Brenner, York Campus SGA presdent, said Thomas avoided the issues and skimmed over everyone's questions.

"I haven't seen so much ducking and bobbing since the last Evander Holyfield fight," Brenner said, adding that he wanted answers, not questions within questions.

But other students said Thomas answered everyone's questions to the best of his ability and attempted to address issues student leaders raised.

"I felt he did the best job that he could," said Keith Kozo, CCSG's representative to the University's Board of Trustees.