<p>UVa, others escape tough paring measures</p>
<p>By Brian McNeill
Published and Updated: March 15, 2010</p>
<p>"The General Assembly has spared the states higher education system including the University of Virginia deeper budget cuts than previously expected.</p>
<p>The budget passed by the General Assembly on Sunday is very similar to that proposed by former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and omits, for the most part, further higher educations cuts officials feared might be made.</p>
<p>UVa and other schools also managed to convince the legislature to remove a proposal by Kaine to shave 5 percent off the accounts of each universitys auxiliary enterprises, which include parking services, athletics, housing, dining and other departments that receive no funding from the state.</p>
<p>The 5 percent reduction to auxiliary balances originally proposed in the Governors budget is NOT included in the conference committee budget, Colette Sheehy, UVas vice president for management and budget, wrote in an e-mail. However, at this point we think they still intend to withhold interest earnings on cash balances for auxiliary enterprise operations.</p>
<p>More for out-of-state students</p>
<p>The General Assemblys budget imposes a higher fee on out-of-state college students to support debt service on academic buildings. The fee would increase from $10 to $15 per credit hour.</p>
<p>UVa did not, as it had hoped, receive authorization for new capital projects. As a result, the renovations of New Cabell Hall and Ruffner Hall will remain on hold.</p>
<p>Two entities at the UVa the Center for Politics and the Foundation for the Humanities avoided deep cuts included in the House version of the budget, which zeroed out all of the agencies state funding.</p>
<p>Despite the restored funding, both agencies still face budget reductions originally proposed by Kaine.</p>
<p>The Center for Politics, which relies on the state money to finance its civics education and youth leadership programs, stands to lose some $60,000 each year under the General Assembly-approved budget.</p>
<p>When our budget is cut we ultimately have to reduce the services we provide to schools and teachers, Ken Stroupe, the centers chief of staff, said. Should this version of the budget prevail, we will not have to reduce those services as much.</p>
<p>The Foundation for the Humanities, which is behind the Virginia Festival of the Book and other civic, cultural, educational and artistic endeavors, would lose nearly $290,800 each year of the biennium.</p>
<p>The budget still requires the signature of Gov. Bob McDon-nell, who can exercise his line item veto authority with any budget item. Lawmakers return to Richmond in April to vote on any of McDonnells vetoes.</p>
<p>[UVa</a>, others escape tough paring measures | Charlottesville Daily Progress](<a href=“http://■■■■■■■/0hAGf]UVa”>http://■■■■■■■/0hAGf)</p>