HARRISBURG -- As he passionately requested increased state funding, Penn State President Graham Spanier became visibly upset during his testimony to Pennsylvania's House Appropriations Committee yesterday.
Spanier argued that the university's contributions to the economy are deserving of increased appropriations.
"Here we have one of the greatest assets that the state has ever known, and we're cutting, cutting, cutting," he said.
Spanier and representatives from the three other state-related universities traveled to lobby the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and to request increased funding. The university officials stated that Gov. Ed Rendell's recommended 1.5 percent increase for the universities in Education and General funding is not enough to cover costs associated with inflation.
Education and General funding covers the general operating costs of running a university.
Rendell suggested cuts of 2 percent each from three line items -- agricultural research, cooperative extension programs and funding for the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Melded together with the proposed 1.5 percent increase, this represents a total .78 percent increase for Penn State, or a total of $336.84 million for the upcoming academic year.
"We're not asking for the moon here. We're just asking for continued appropriate investment in these areas," Spanier said. "Cutting the budget or giving us an increase that doesn't come close to covering inflation simply erodes what we're doing."
Penn State received $334.23 million for this current academic year, according to budget.psu.edu.
Spanier said the cuts reflect a fiscal trend. Last year, Rendell suggested a 1.6 percent increase.
"This is inexplicable to me," Spanier said. "This is six years in a row that the governor has recommended no increase or a budget cut."
State Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, told university representatives that Rendell's budget mirrors the governor's priorities.
"Clearly, the governor's budget reflects his priorities, and you're not one of them," Corman said. "Rest assured, those of us who think higher education is a priority will assist you in trying to boost that number up as high we can."
Still, other senators were skeptical of giving the universities further financial support.
"We're giving to numerous universities in the commonwealth," Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery and Bucks, said, referring to community colleges and the 14 state-owned universities. "I have to know, in order to make a decision -- are these costs that are within your control?"
In response to a question posed by Sen. James Rhoades, R-Schuylkill, Spanier defended the independence of state-related universities and spoke against the idea of Penn State being absorbed into the state-owned system.
"We know how to be efficient and how to operate," Spanier said.
State House Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, said the state government has a responsibility to adequately fund state-related universities.
"It is disturbing to sit with you each year and see what is essentially a disinvestment in our state-related universities ... We're not doing our job here," Frankel said.
Spanier expressed his worry about Rendell's recommended cuts, adding that agricultural cuts are especially damaging to the state's economy.
"This is another 50 jobs lost, just on these agricultural line items," Spanier said. "If there were a new company coming into Pennsylvania that could create 50 new jobs, I think we'd be stumbling over ourselves to try to get that enterprise up and running."
Various members of the House committee expressed their plans to fight for increased funding. Chairman of the committee, Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia, said amendments need to be negotiated before the June 30 budget deadline.
Spanier said after the House hearing that he was hopeful.
"Based on what I've heard today, it has boosted my confidence that we will see the restoration of the three line items," he said.
