University waits for state budget

If the University gets the money it has requested from the state, increased salaries and decreased class sizes could be some of the educational benefits on the horizon.

Gov. Tom Ridge will unveil his proposed budget today, and the University will find out whether Ridge's appropriations meet the University's request.

The University requested an increase of more than $24 million in funding from the state, said Steve MacCarthy, executive director of University Relations.

The University requested a 3.5 percent -- or $10.1 million -- increase in appropriations to cover basic operating costs, which include inflation adjustments and moderate salary increases, he said. They also include funding for agricultural research and the cooperative extension program, MacCarthy said.

The University requested an additional 5 percent -- or $14.4 million -- increase for competitive funding. This funding would go toward areas such as creating 75 new teaching positions to decrease class size, information technologies and libraries, he said.

The University also requested competitive funding for all of the University's Commonwealth Campuses, The College of Medicine and Pennsylvania College of Technology.

These funds enable the University to remain competitive with other institutions, MacCarthy said.

The University requested overall state funding of $314.3 million, MacCarthy said.

"We've always presented what we thought was a very fair request relative to what the University needs," MacCarthy said.

Matthew Guzy, president of College Democrats, said he wants to see increased spending for higher education and college loans.

State legislators do not know what the students need, Guzy said.

"They don't understand where the University needs money and why," he said.

Legislators view funding requests as one huge number, he said.

"A lot of money goes to the students, and (legislators) see it as going to the administration," Guzy said.

Jerrold Ansman, former chairman of College Republicans, said the University needs to make more reasonable funding requests and to better spend the given appropriations.

"I generally believe the money the school asks for from the state is increasingly too much," Ansman said.

Ridge will unveil the 1998-99 budget proposal at 11:30 a.m. today to a joint session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.