The Michigan Daily -Thursday, September 5, 1991 - Page 7

STATE
Continued from page 1
that this was the first year in recent
memory the University has had to
set tuition rates without a definite
state appropriation.
To set its budget, the University
took the-Senate's higher education
proposal of 4.7 percent above last
year's allocation.
However, this actually amounts
to a 3.7 percent net increase because
of a 1 percent cut the University
took a iunding this spring.
Moreover, University officials
said the budget process was diffi-
cult because the state withheld $25
million in last year's appropriations
until Oct. 1, the beginning of the
state's new fiscal year. This means
the University is currently operat-
ing with less money than it origi-
nally had budgeted.
Administrators said there is
some doubt as to how much of this
money the University will actually
receive.
"To deal with the situation, we
are looking at cost containment
measures, a less than adequate salary
program, deferment or cancellation
of all but essential expenditures,"
Provost and Vice President for
Academic Affairs Gilbert Whitaker
said.
Both University regents and ad-
ministrators said that if the Univer-
sity experienced financial problems
during the year because of an under-
estimation in state appropriations,
tuition rates could be reevaluated
before winter term.
This fall, Representatives Lewis
Dodak (D-Birch Run), Morris Hood
(D-Detroit) and Pat Gagliardi (D-
Drummond. Island) plan to intro-
duce a House Joint Resolution that
would call on state colleges and
universities to hold tuition in-
creases to the rate of inflation.
"I don't think that's very good
public policy;" Kennedy said. "That
would provide an enormous prob-
lem for institutions if the state
isn't able to provide support. What
suffers of course is the quality of
the institution."
But MCC officials support the
Democratic plan or a similar alter-
native. "The plan puts a little more
pressure on the state to make a
larger commitment to higher educa-
tion," Clark said.
Another option Clark suggested
was to set a percentage of universi-
ties' costs that would be paid by
students each year. Until recently,
the total amount of state appropria-
tions exceeded revenue from tuition.
But the percent of educational costs
students pay has been increasing as
the state's share decreases. Clark's
alternative would still allow for
tuition increases, but increases
would be proportional to increased
educational costs.
A Dodak aid said that if the reso-
tution is not approved, it will be in-
troduced it as a ballot question to
amend the state constitution.
The amendment would need a
two-thirds approval by both the
House and Senate. Failing that, the
proposal could be taken up as a
statewide ballot referendum.
"If they do not get full legisla-
tive approval they said they will
put a proposal on the ballot to re-
quire universities to hold tuition to
the rate of inflation," said MCC

Legislative Director Alaina
Campbell.
Mary Dettloff, spokesperson for
Dodak, said she was doubtful that
this year's tuition rates would be
affected.
"I don't know if the resolution
will affect this upcoming year. It
will not be introduced until the
fall," she said.

s -. SOVIET
Continued from page 1
S. .agency reported. For decades the
League, known as Komsomol, had
been\the Communist Party's
mainstay for recruiting and training
F ; y o u n g p e o p l e.A
-'At the Congress of People's
Deputies, Gorbachev several times
appeared on the verge of losing
patience with the 1,900 lawmakers,,
:r . who have been meeting in an
extraordinary session at the
. Z , . k Kremlin since Monday.
..He twice recessed the session
" ~yesterday as the critical work went
on behind closed doors.
Gorbachev's proposal would
effectively eliminate the Congress,
the country's top legislative body.
- He and his allies tried to sweeten
the proposal by guaranteeing that
lawmakers would continue to
receive their monthly salaries of
x H300 rubles, or $500, plus free plane
"P Photo and train tickets, according to
Delegates to the Congress of People's Deputies took a break yesterday after debating how power should be divided among the republics as the union Cekuois, a Lithuanian observer at
is transformed into a confederation of sovereign states. the Congress.
th-oges


Tell

us
what