University Times

Pitt would receive a 2.5 percent increase in its FY2000 state appropriation under Gov. Tom Ridge's proposed budget.

This week, Ridge recommended increasing Pitt's funding by almost $4 million to $162.2 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The University had sought a base appropriation of $164.5 million next year — a 4 percent hike in its current $158.2 million base budget — plus another $4 million in one-time funding for two initiatives aimed at making Pennsylvania more competitive economically. The two proposals are: contributing to the state's economy through advanced research ($2.5 million) and preparing Pitt's graduates for the new economy ($1.5 million). Ridge did not recommend funding those specific initiatives.

But that doesn't mean the state won't fund them. According to Dennis P. McManus, Pitt assistant vice chancellor for Governmental Relations, "It seems that there is consistency in the thrust of the governor's proposals, without there being specific money allocated to the University. For example, the budget mentions $10 million for higher education technology grants, $6 million for a higher education equipment development program and $1 million for an engineering equipment development program, which might fund [our projects]. We're looking into that sort of thing now, but it's too early to tell," McManus said. In a written response to the governor's Feb. 2 budget address, Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg said the University looked forward to maintaining "what has been a very constructive dialogue with Gov. Ridge and the General Assembly." But Nordenberg fell short of endorsing the governor's proposals. "The 2.5 percent across-the-board component of this budget submission is less than our 4 percent request, which was grounded in a very realistic assessment of what will be required if we are to advance our mission and help move Pennsylvania forward," Nordenberg wrote. The chancellor added that the governor's budget proposal contained "innovative new funding streams" designed to advance certain Commonwealth objectives. "At this point, we need further information regarding those programs to determine what, if any, of our needs they might meet," Nordenberg wrote.

University administrators, lobbyists and others will plead Pitt's case in Harrisburg as Pennsylvania legislators and govern-or's office staff try to agree on a state budget by the end of June.

Chancellor Nordenberg and other Pitt officials are scheduled to testify before the state Senate appropriations committee Feb. 23 and the House of Representatives appropriations committee Feb. 24. Both hearings will be at the State Capitol Building.

In the funding request that Pitt submitted to the state Department of Education last September, the University proposed hiking tuition no more than 4 percent next fall and increasing the budget for faculty and staff compensation (salary plus benefits) by 4 percent. (See University Times, Sept. 17, 1998.) But those 4 percent increases for tuition and compensation were based on Pitt receiving the $6.33 million hike in base appropriation plus the $4 million one-time special projects request. Pitt's News and Information spokesperson Ken Service said that these proposals will be evaluated based on the governor's plan. "But at this stage in the budget process, it's too early to tell what effect the governor's budget proposals will have on our plans," Service said. q Following is a line item breakdown of Ridge's recommendations for Pitt, by actual amount and percentage increase, along with what the University requested:

* $144,318,000 in educational and general funds, a 2.5 percent increase. This is $2,112,000 less than Pitt requested.

* $346,000 for services to disadvantaged students (2.4 percent); $6,000 less than Pitt's request.

* $6,735,000 for the School of Medicine (2.5 percent); $99,000 less than Pitt requested.

* $1,112,000 for the dental clinic (2.5 percent); $16,000 less than Pitt asked for. * $8,305,000 for the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (2.5 percent); $121,000 less than Pitt's request.

* $536,000 for the Services for Teens at Risk program (2.5 percent); $8,000 less than Pitt requested.

* $270,000 for the Center for Public Health Practice (2.7 percent); $4,000 less than the University's request. * $538,000 for rural education outreach (2.5 percent); $8,000 less than Pitt's request.

Each of the above requests by Pitt were for 4 percent increases, except services for disadvantaged students (4.1 percent) and the Center for Public Health Practice (4.2 percent).

According to the governor's deputy press secretary Jerry Feaser, Ridge's budget also proposes $550,000 for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and $56,000 for the University's Cleft Palate Center. Those are the same amounts they received last year.

Last year's $1 million line item for the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, a joint project of Pitt, Carnegie Mellon and Westinghouse Corp., has been eliminated, Feaser said. "But some funding for that will come out of the Pennsylvania Technology Investment Authority budget," he said. The budget line item that previously funded Pitt's Ethnic Heritage Studies Center was increased from $100,000 to $160,000, Feaser said. "But it's still to be decided how much of that the center will get, because [that line item] funds other heritage projects." Last year, the Pitt center was funded at $50,000.

–Peter Hart