On 5/11, a message from WCU's President, Dr. Gregory Weisenstein, gave updates on the budget:
"As a follow up to my communication to you after Governor Corbett’s announced budget proposal (March 8, 2011), during the week of May 9, 2011 State House Republicans have introduced a $27.3 billion budget plan that would restore some of the cuts to public and higher education that were proposed by Governor Tom Corbett. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education would receive $195 million more than the governor proposed, amounting to a 15 percent reduction from the current year’s total allocation. This is a positive development, but we also need to be reminded that the House budget is only a starting point in route to a final budget. The Senate will develop and propose their budget and give consideration to the House budget. The PASSHE Board of Governors will act upon a tuition increase at their late June meeting. These actions will play very prominently in our revenues. Thank you for your advocacy for WCU and the State System with our Harrisburg legislators. We will continue to update you with the latest budget information. Please go to the WCU homepage and click on “Budget Update” for the most up-to-date information."
(You can find the message on WCU's website by visiting this link: http://www.wcupa.edu/president/messages/ )
For more on the House Republican plan, visit http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2011/2011051074.HTM
There are several things that can be derived from this message:
1. State House Republicans' new budget plan(conveniently introduced during the week of May 9, week of graduation for all PASSHE universities) proposes a 15% reduction in public and higher education, in opposition to Corbett's proposed 54% reduction in funding. While this is indeed a reversal of 39%, this does NOT in any way fit the definition of victory for the students of Pennsylvania. Public universities tuition increases were immense and tuition rates unaffordable long before the State Legislature considered cutting already-dwindling funding. The state schools have seen drops in funding since the system was created in the early 1980s, not for a single year have the universities seen their tuition rates decrease. So, the evidence shows us that this 15% is unlikely to be retrieved in a system whose funding has been on the downturn for years. Furthermore, the newly proposed budget plan is just that- a proposal. The House may negotiate less funding than the current figures, dropping the allocations even lower by the time of the confirmed budget.
2. Accordingly, as noted by President Weisenstein, the PASSHE Board of Governors are already making plans to convene in late June to develop plans for tuition increases, whether the new proposal changes in allocations in the budget over the summer or not. What is the PASSHE Board of Governors doing to ensure affordability of tuition to all students? To whom is the Board of Governors accountable?
