The University Board of Trustees learned more about the University's grassroots lobbying efforts on Friday and also heard some concerns about the perceptions some state lawmakers might have about Penn State's political orientation.

To help higher education in the midst of troubled financial times, the Legislator Advocacy Network was started two years ago on the "proposition that all politics are local," said Robert Dunham, senior vice president and dean for the Commonwealth Educational System.

The network is made of 103 teams of Commonwealth Campus board members, alumni, faculty, staff, students and University friends. Its purpose is to educate lawmakers across the state about how the University can benefit them and their constituents. The teams are based at 14 Commonwealth Campuses.

Trustee Barry Robinson said the Commonwealth Campuses provide good contacts throughout the state, and the network is important and something "we should have, perhaps, moved toward earlier."

Currently, 99 students are involved in the network, but Director of Commonwealth Relations Helen Caffrey said she would like to build student involvement.

Caffrey presented the network's progress and goals to the trustees on Friday. Among the projects planned are Spring Semester workshops to review the governor's proposed budget and articulate the University's response.

The University is requesting $292,191,000 from the state this year. The state will decide how much to give before the fiscal year ends in June. Although the University requested $279 million in state appropriations for 1994-95, it received about $10 million less.

Caffrey said the team visits with legislators will emphasize the 6 percent increase in appropriation request and a $4.5 million line-item request for telecommunications. Because the General Assembly includes seven new senators and 22 new representatives, the team visits are an opportunity for them to get aquainted early in the lawmakers' tenure.

Although Trustee Edward Zemprelli, a former state senator, agreed the program is important for more funding, he voiced concerns over the image the University projects in the state legislature.

"This University, historically, whether we like it or not, has been identified over the years as Republican-oriented," he said, citing Head Football Coach Joe Paterno's publicized Republican sentiments as an example.

Zemprelli also emphasized the increased competition from the community colleges, colleges and universities in the state for the limited money available for education.

"For every dollar out there, within the community of education, there are 50 people after that money," Zemprelli said. "And if they're not going through the front door, they're going through the back door -- which we all understand."

The University ranks last in the conference in the amount of state appropriations it receives. The Big Ten average is more than $325 million.

Trustee Ben Novak suggested that the board's bylaws be changed so a public relations committee could be formed to help relations and to support the network.