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State budget in crisis |
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Photos
by Andrew Shurtleff
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Assembly of Professors convened for the first time in a decade
Oct. 14 to discuss the state’s budget crisis and how U.Va.
should proceed. |
U.Va. is cut $98.2M over biennium
By Lee Graves
High
rankings are usually a cause for kudos at the University, but the
latest round of state budget cuts has put U.Va. in a spot no one
envies.
The
University is near the top of the budget hit list — both in
terms of total dollars and percentages — among public colleges
and universities in the state. Only the Eastern Virginia Medical
School must deal with larger percentage cuts.
Fortunately,
officials at U.Va. have been anticipating the cuts with plans for
a mid-year tuition increase, department-by-department reduction
strategies and use of private funds to support core programs.
While
Gov. Mark R. Warner said last week that 1,837 full- and part-time
state employees would be laid off to reach his initial goal of $858
million in reductions, U.Va. President John T. Casteen III has made
it clear that protecting jobs at the University is a No. 1 priority.
Earlier this month he authorized implementing 15 percent reduction
plans prepared by University departments “with the exception
of any proposal that may involve layoffs, furloughs or some program
of enforced early retirements.”
Casteen
also has designated $6 million to retain faculty, support graduate
students and protect core programs.
“It’s
important to maintain key elements essential to academic excellence
at the University,” Casteen said. “As much as possible,
we must preserve the range of courses offered, the moderate size
of classes and access to our libraries. In addition, we must recognize
the valuable contributions of our classified employees in these
tough times. They are critical to sustaining quality in patient
care, teaching, research and dozens of other activities that are
essential to the University’s mission. “
The
Board of Visitors authorized the midyear tuition surcharge earlier
this month. The amount will be set by Leonard W. Sandridge Jr.,
executive vice president and chief operating officer, in conjunction
with board members and the administration. Full
story.
Faculty call for tuition
increase
By
Carol Wood
More
than 400 University professors answered the call to gather as a
group for only the third time in the last half-century. The topic:
the state budget crisis.
They
came on Monday, Oct. 14, to send a strong message to state legislators
that higher education in Virginia is under attack – and that
the University of Virginia could be “in danger of slipping
into mediocrity.”
“We
are convinced that it is vital that we, the faculty, have a forum
to voice our concerns, frustration and hopes,” said politics
department chair Robert Fatton Jr., setting the tone for the evening.
“…We will voice some criticisms, but we aim to be constructive.
Tonight we will speak plainly, but in a spirit of cooperation and
collaboration.”
There
were remarks by several faculty members who balanced reason with
despair over the current budget situation and how it might harm
the University’s core academic mission. This was not a new
problem to many in the Chemistry Building lecture hall who had weathered
a similar storm. Full story.
Garry Wills takes his turn at writing
U.Va. history
By Matt Kelly
Thomas
Jefferson the artist has long captivated historian and author Garry
Wills, whose latest book, Mr. Jefferson’s University, is an
examination of U.Va.
When
National Geographic asked selected authors to write about their
favorite places for a new book series, U.Va. was near the top of
Wills’ list. “I’ve been visiting it for 30 years,
and it has always intrigued me because I see something new every
time,” he said. “It is an amazingly rich cluster of interrelations.”
Wills
has been writing and teaching aspects of Jefferson for years. He
once researched Jefferson’s architecture for American Heritage
magazine and has taught courses at Northwestern University on Jefferson
the artist. Full
story.
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