Stanford Plans to Raise Tuition, Cut Faculty and Classes

Stanford University, badly stung by reductions in federal research funds, is planning cutbacks that will affect all of campus life, including trimming faculty, shortening library hours, eliminating a doctoral program in music, dropping summer intramural sports and cleaning classrooms less frequently.

In announcing the proposed changes Wednesday, Stanford also warned students that a “substantial” tuition increase is needed next year to help close a $43-million deficit by 1994. That $43 million represents about 12% of Stanford’s yearly $362-million operating budget, excluding its medical school and hospital.

“If we don’t increase income from tuition, we’re going to have to take more substantial program cuts,” said Stanford Provost James N. Rosse, who declined to reveal the size of the tuition hike until next month. Stanford’s undergraduates now pay $15,102 a year for tuition and $6,106 for room and board.

The proposed cutbacks at Stanford are in part symptomatic of a recession-driven downsizing throughout American higher education, and come only two weeks after Yale University proposed eliminating or merging several of its academic departments.

However, Stanford’s main trouble is the sharp reduction in federal funds for research overhead that resulted from government investigations into improper billings. During renewed hearings on the controversy Wednesday, government auditors alleged that Stanford’s over-billings dating back to 1981 amount to $230 million so far.

Under Stanford’s austerity plans, the drama department’s tenured faculty would be cut from about 10 positions to eight through attrition. Closing the entire department had been considered, but that proposal was abandoned after lobbying by students and alumni. Funds for theatrical productions will be reduced.

Carolyn Lougee, senior associate dean of the School of Humanities and Science, which includes drama, said the budget trimming has been stressful. “The Stanford faculty has not had any experience in contraction before,” she said. Under the plan, her school’s tenured faculty would be decreased by 23 positions to 460 through attrition.

Cuts were proposed in areas “where we have had problems or less prospects of achieving real eminence,” Lougee explained.

William Eddelman, associate drama professor, said he had mixed feelings about the proposed drama department reductions. “It’s like when you have two arms and a leg. You are still functioning,” he said.

The cost-cutting proposals must be approved by the university’s Board of Trustees, which is scheduled to make a decision in April. Campus spokesman Terry Shepard said the plans “can be tinkered with but probably not radically changed.”

No tenured faculty will be fired, although attrition will decrease their ranks. Non-tenured lecturers face shakier futures in some departments and the sizes of some classes will rise, according to administrators. They offered no firm figures on the total number of faculty and staff reductions, citing uncertainties about attrition and some cost-cutting proposals.

Among the proposed changes are:

* Merging five departments in modern foreign languages, shutting a study program in Salamance, Spain, and restricting enrollment at another in Florence, Italy.

* Eliminating the doctoral program in musical performance practice, while keeping three other doctorates in music.

* Reducing hours at the graduate research library and sharply trimming funds for acquisition of new books in some specialized collections.

* Toughening eligibility for scholarships, including a new requirement that non-custodial parents contribute to tuition payments.

* Cutting administrative costs and reducing the use of outside legal counsel.

* Dropping summer intramural sports, reducing gymnasium hours and trimming funds for some varsity sports, the marching band and campus cultural events.

* Cleaning campus facilities less frequently, possibly ending weekend custodial service.

“People realize the problems are facing not just our university but higher education in general around our country,” said W. Gary Ernst, dean of the Earth sciences school, which is trying to condense its four separate departments into three and eliminate several non-teaching jobs. He said his school and others will attempt to increase support from foundations, government and alumni.

DRAMATIC SURVIVAL: Stanford will not close its drama department, but will severely reduce it. F3

The Cost of College

Stanford University’s undergraduate tuition and room/board costs:

Year Tuition % Increase Room & Board % Increase 1981-82 $7,140 13.6% $2,965 12.5% 1982-83 $8,220 15.1% $3,423 15.4% 1983-84 $9,027 9.8% $3,812 11.4% 1984-85 $9,705 7.5% $4,146 8.8% 1985-86 $10,476 7.9% $4,417 6.5% 1986-87 $11,208 7.0% $4,700 6.4% 1987-88 $11,880 6.0% $4,955 5.4% 1988-89 $12,564 5.8% $5,257 6.1% 1989-90 $13,569 8.0% $5,595 6.4% 1990-91 $14,280 5.2% $5,930 6.0% 1991-92 $15,102 5.8% $6,160 3.9%

SOURCE: Stanford News Service

Compiled by researcher Tracy Thomas