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Friday, February 10, 2012
Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper
Est. 1934
Volume 94, Number 15
Corbett proposes more cuts to higher education
PHOTO GRAPHIC BY LIANA PITTMAN/THE ROCKET
Pennsylvania's second year governor has proposed cuts to higher education by 34.4 percent.
By Will Deshong Rocket Staff Reporter
Governor Tom Corbett’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year would reduce funding to the 14 state-owned universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education by 20 percent, totaling $82.5
million. The Republican governor is seeking $1.4 billion in cuts across all levels of higher education in his $27.14 billion budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year beginning in July. In addition to cuts to PASSHE schools, the state-related universities of Penn State, Pitt, and Temple would take on $147.4 million in total cuts, while funding for community
colleges across the state would be cut $8.8 million, or roughly 4 percent. Corbett also proposed to cut 6.4 percent of financial aid for college students through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. Corbett, who called the cuts difficult but necessary, is being greeted with strong opposition from university administrators, officials, and faculty members who fear what even more drastic cuts could do to higher education. “It’s too early to predict what type of impacts the cuts could have,” Kenn Marshall, a spokesperson for PASSHE, said. “But when you combine $90 million in reductions, a loss of $170 million in general funding over the past two years, losing half of our capital allocation funds and $7 million in deferred maintenance—all that combined leaves a significant impact on universities and students.” The proposal is coming after Corbett had already successfully cut funding to PASSHE schools by 18 percent this year, although his proposed budget a year ago called for over a 50 percent reduction in funding. “The 18 percent reduction was the largest single year reduction ever,” Marshall said. “In fact there have been very few years where we didn’t see at least a slight increase in funding. We’ve never had a cut the magnitude of last year. Never anything close.” But now it seems the state’s higher education programs could face the same dilemma all over again, as Corbett’s proposal calls for an even larger cut than what was passed this year. It’s a proposal that Jace Condravy, the Slippery Rock University president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, said would diminish the quality of education at SRU. “We believe they will hurt an already financially beleaguered student body,” Condravy said of the governor’s proposed cuts. “Revenue to run universities comes from two places—tuition and state support.” “When state support goes down, students can count on tuition going up. Or they can count on larger classes, fewer programs, less frequently offered courses, more temporary faculty in the classes, a campus that is not maintained. In other words, students can expect the quality of their education to decline.” Guido Pichini, chair of PASSHE’s Board
of Governors, and PASSHE Chancellor John C. Cavanaugh released a joint statement on Tuesday in response to Corbett’s proposal. “We fully recognize the financial challenges facing the commonwealth,” Pichini and Cavanaugh said in the statement. “Governor Corbett was right in saying that education is a key to the state’s financial recovery. That is especially true of our graduates, over 80 percent of whom stay in Pennsylvania for their careers and as community and civic leaders.” “However, our joint goals are at risk as a result of the budget blueprint for the commonwealth presented today, which provides only $2 million more than the system received 24 years ago in 1988-89. During that period we have added 23,000 students.” Even with financial problems facing the state, it’s an unwarranted burden placed on higher education, as Pichini and Cavanaugh described in their statement. “We do our part,” the PASSHE leaders said. “We have reduced our operating costs by more than $230 million during the past decade and will continue to seek additional efficiencies through collaboration.” “Since 2010, we have over 900 current vacancies and/or eliminated positions throughout the system. We continue to review our academic offerings; we have eliminated or put into moratorium hundreds of programs.” Reduced operating costs and vacant and eliminated positions has been a cause for concern between PASSHE and APSCUF, and more budget cuts could only further strain relations between the two sides as they negotiate various issues, most notably healthcare "We'll continue negotiating with faculty and coaches to hopefully reach the same cooporation we have with other unions," Marshall said. "But everyone is well aware of the funding situation." But Condravy sees a shared opposition to the budget cuts as something that could bring the two sides together. “We assert that we are on the same side in issues like these but come at solving the problem from different perspectives,” Condravy said. “The threat to the continued good health of our institutions could be an opportunity to collaborate and work together on behalf of students and quality education.”
Search for Slippery Rock University's next president continues SRU a good fit, says Dr. Maynard By Brian Brodeur News Editor
Slippery Rock University held an open interview session with Dr. C. Jack Maynard, the second SRU presidential candidate, on Friday, Feb, 3. Dr. Maynard is currently working at Indiana State University as provost and vice president for academic affairs, along with being a professor of education. He has served at the university since 2001, and before then worked as the Dean of Education at Michigan-Flint University. Dr. Maynard has experience in other leadership positions at colleges and universities including Toledo and Marshall. Throughout his time at these institutions, Dr. Maynard earned a great appreciation for the importance of accreditation and having a strong reputation nationally—
which is why he decided that it wasn’t a good fit for him at Michigan-Flint. “It just wasn’t a good fit,” Dr. Maynard said. “I was the education dean and I had visions of national accreditation and moving our programs in that direction. But they weren’t interested in that.” He then said that he had a discussion with the school administration and decided to part ways. Dr. Maynard has been very active in accreditation issues, traveling throughout the country and to other nations helping different colleges and universities get their programs accredited. Dr. Maynard said that SRU’s reputation is one of the biggest things that attracted him to this job. “It’s a great place to work and a great place to be,” Dr. Maynard said. “I’ve SEE ALUMNI, PAGE A-2
Student experience matters to Bertolino By Ekaterina Dimitrova Rocket Contributor
Dr. Joseph Bertolino, or “Joe” as he prefers to be called, the fourth presidential candidate to visit Slippery Rock University, participated in his open forum interview on Tuesday afternoon at the Alumni House. Bertolino currently serves as the Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, Executive Assistant to the President and Chair of the Department of Student Personnel at Queens College/ City University of New York. He has lived on every college campus that he has worked in. Bertolino chose to come to SRU because he is very familiar with Slippery Rock. He started his career at East Stroudsburg University as a hall director. Bertolino is not a traditional candidate and hasn’t followed the traditional
academic path. He has spent the last 22 years as an administrator, never aspiring to be a president. Instead, he was inspired to be the chief student affairs officer, which is the position he currently holds. Others have told him that he may want to consider a presidential career given the fact that the nature of presidency is changing. As a face of an institution and as a fund raiser, he is a nontraditional candidate. Over the path of his career he has been tested, he said, and he knows what it’s like to call parents and tell them their child is not coming home, he knows what it’s like to live on campus and interact with faculty, students, staff and administrators. Bertolino said what is most important about him is that he follows the three PsSEE STUDENTS, PAGE A-2