In the midst of a $3.2 million state budget freeze, Penn State college deans are searching for ways to cut expenses while worrying about imminent cuts that could be devastating academically.

"Our greatest worry is that there will be future cuts," said Paul Wangsness, senior associate dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences.

The college was hit especially hard just before this academic year when it was forced to eliminate 80 jobs from its staff.

"If we get another hit, it will be very difficult," Wangsness said.

Gov. Mark Schweiker's administration authorized a mid-year budget freeze this week, which included 1 percent of Penn State's appropriations. University officials do not expect this $3.2 million to be restored.

"The cut will be managed by belt tightening and sacrifices throughout the university," Penn State President Graham Spanier said in an e-mail, adding that faculty will not be cut spring semester.

But deans are unsure how they will make these "sacrifices" after they were notified of the shortfall Monday.

"Since this just came out, it hasn't really been operationalized as far as where that money will come from," said Fred Vondracek, associate dean of the College of Health and Human Development.

Most deans said teaching and academic programs would be the last thing affected by the budget freeze.

Wangsness said his college must return $500,000 after this week's announcement.

"We have been very conservative the past year [with] refilling vacancies because of the larger budget problems," Wangsness said.

Any positions left empty because of retirement or other exiting faculty will likely be left vacant, he added.

Daniel Larson, dean of the Eberly College of Science, also expected positions to only be cut through normal dissolving of positions, for now. But he said it will ultimately affect the number of faculty the college can afford in the future.

"The faculty are the core of the college and we do everything to support as many faculty as we can," Larson said about the faculty.

Edward Reutzel, Smeal College of Business senior associate dean, said conservative spending has been the mode of thinking for the last year. So like many colleges, this latest announcement doesn't change things significantly.

"This isn't really a dramatic hit for us," he said.

Spanier said the budget cut will not directly affect next year's tuition and there will not be a mid-year tuition increase this academic year.

"Next year's tuition will be based on decisions made by the governor and legislature this coming spring and summer," Spanier.

Vondracek said he believes that the university administration is working very hard to persuade the state legislature that Penn State is "an economic force that brings a lot of money into the state."

Spanier will lobby for $347.1 million of Penn State's 2002-2003 budget before the state appropriations committees in March.