Temple U. Head Urges Public Response To Corbett's Education Budget Cuts
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett's budget proposal for 2011-2012 cuts funding to state colleges in half (see related story).
Temple University vice president Ken Lawrence says the school was expecting the governor's budget to cut funding, but he says the school wasn't prepared for a "profound" reduction of 50 percent to universities in the commonwealth -- including Penn State, Pitt, Lincoln University, and Temple.
Lawrence says Temple received $172 million last year. This budget would provide only $80 million and would force some serious belt-tightening, he says.
"It would have to be a combination of a tuition increase, program cuts, jobs. We'd have to look at everything across the board," Lawrence believes.
In the meantime, university president Ann Weaver Hart, in a video on the school web site, is calling on students, staff, and alumni to contact their state legislators.
"I am asking each and every one of you to take action," Temple's president says in her video.
Reported by Mike DeNardo, KYW Newsradio 1060.
