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2003-04 BUDGET
PRESENTATION
as
approved by the Board of Trustees, September 13, 2002 |
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 enn State has a long tradition of providing high
quality educational experiences for citizens of the Commonwealth, while
producing cutting-edge research that will be vital to Pennsylvania’s
future economic growth. We are eager to strengthen our partnership with the
state to do even more to meet the challenges of the future.
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| At Penn State, we have delivered on our promise to educate
the citizenry of the state with our system of 24 campus locations that enroll
more than 83,000 students. Penn State is the university of choice for many of
the Commonwealth’s most talented students, in addition to being a major
contributor to workforce development by enrolling more students in
professional, occupational, and technical programs than any other institution.
Once again, minority enrollments for fall 2002 increased over the prior year,
opening the doors of learning even wider for all Pennsylvania residents. |
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| In Penn State’s 2003-04 appropriation request to the
Commonwealth, we seek a 4.5 percent appropriation increase to help support
basic operating costs, with special emphases on faculty and staff salaries,
meeting escalating health care costs, and providing support for facilities
improvements and deferred maintenance. We are mindful of the financial
challenges facing the Commonwealth and we believe that this is a modest
request, in light of the 3.6 percent decrease in the state appropriation that
we received last year. In addition, we are requesting special support for only
one area of critical need — Penn State’s College of Medicine. We
focus on a single special request this year because the only academic medical
center in Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh is in jeopardy,
making an investment in the health and well being of the citizens of the
Commonwealth a high priority. |
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| To give the greatest return to all who invest in our
University, we remain committed to cost containment, budget recycling, cutting
unnecessary services, and continued belt-tightening. As support from the
Commonwealth diminishes, however, the burden of financing higher education has
increasingly fallen on our students and their families. Although access to a
college education is critical to individual success, it is also paramount to
the future success of the Commonwealth. Without a well-trained, technologically
literate work force, Pennsylvania will not be able to attract and retain the
best and brightest of our citizens. We stand ready to join the Commonwealth in
making this critical investment in our future. |
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