School plans to argue that higher ed 'is part of economic solution'

Published: Friday, February 22, 2008 - 2:00 am

By Anna Simon
CLEMSON BUREAU
asimon@greenvillenews.com

A budget passed by the state House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday cuts government spending by 4.5 percent, including $4.2 million in cuts to Clemson University.

The proposal cuts $3 million from Clemson's academic budget and $1.2 million from Clemson's public service budget, according to Clemson.

Clemson spokeswoman Cathy Sams said state support is "absolutely vital" and cuts could "hinder plans to add new faculty, revitalize core academic facilities and continue to grow major economic development initiatives, such as CU-ICAR."

Higher education faces a total cut of about $10 million, according to a report by The Associated Press that cites $61 million in across-the-board cuts to most state agencies.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell said, "In the midst of a nation-wide economic slowdown, our members have been able to fully fund education and health care, use about $100 million out of the billion dollars agencies have in carry-forward accounts and cut the rest of government so we live within our means."

The budget recommendation includes a state employee pay raise of 1 percent, funds the endowed chairs program at $30 million, provides $1.5 million in nonrecurring funds for the South Carolina Light Rail and also fully funds the Palmetto Fellows, LIFE and Hope scholarship programs, according to Clemson.

"We recognize that this is shaping up to be a tight budget year, and now the Legislature has a difficult task ahead," Sams said. "There are many more steps in the budget cycle, and we will spend the next few months working hard to make the case that higher education is part of the economic solution."

The budget proposal now goes to the full House.