Clemson's president says public service would suffer

By Jean Scott
Independent-Mail
January 9, 2004

CLEMSON — Public service programs helping people across the state would suffer under Gov. Mark Sanford’s proposed executive budget, Clemson University officials said Friday.

"We were disappointed that the budget did not recognize the value of our public service mission or more aggressively support the role of research universities in economic development," Clemson President Jim Barker said in a prepared statement.

Clemson spokeswoman Cathy Sams said the proposed budget would reduce money for all aspects of the university’s public service activities except for those centering on agricultural productivity and profitability.

The affected areas would include economic and community development, food safety and nutrition, youth development and environmental conservation.

Will Folks, the governor’s press secretary, said the governor’s budget aims to use the state’s limited means for the most pressing needs.

"When you start a budget process $350 million in the hole, that makes for an incredibly difficult budget environment and, as a result, some incredibly difficult budget decisions," Mr. Folks said.

"There are a number of worthwhile programs that are run out of Clemson’s PSA (public service activities)," he said. "The governor is not disputing that. He is simply pointing out that in times of economic downturn, it’s essential we prioritize spending and focus on core missions, and PSA’s core mission is farming."

He cited free public service publications on topics such as "adventures with your camera" and "raising earthworms" as among the services that do not tie in with the agency’s core mission.

But Mr. Barker said many of the affected areas have always been part of Clemson’s public-service mission.

"Clemson’s public service programs are appropriately given credit for the substantial increases in farm productivity over the past century, but they also were intended to serve people who do not have a lot of political clout, such as at-risk youth, rural families, small farmers and people worried about the quality of their drinking water," he said.

Mr. Barker added that the cuts also could hurt students in Clemson’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences because many faculty members have joint academic and public service activities appointments.

"We can’t very well lay off half a person and leave the other half there to teach classes in food safety, genetics or environmental science," he said.

Mr. Barker said Clemson also would work to garner stronger support for the university’s role as an economic-development engine for the state.

Ms. Sams said that would include pushing a legislative reform package that would free Clemson and the state’s other research universities from some regulations, giving them more leeway to increase their research capabilities and create more high-paying jobs for the state.

Mr. Folks noted that the governor’s proposed budget calls for increasing the match the state will give the research universities if they secure money from a federal program aimed at stimulating research.

Jean Scott can be reached at (864) 654-6553 or by e-mail at scottj@IndependentMail.com.