Lack of funds puts teaching mission at risk, UW president warns

University of Washington President Richard McCormick continued his campaign to heighten public awareness about the state's declining contributions to institutions of higher education in a speech yesterday to the UW's faculty, staff and students.

"This is a world-class university," McCormick said, adding that "it is also a university in trouble."

While the UW is one of the nation's top recipients of research funding and continues to be highly successful in attracting private gifts and grants, the school also is near the bottom of its class in terms of per-student funding.

In 1991, the UW ranked 12th in per-student funding among the top 25 state institutions, such as the universities of Illinois and Michigan, UCLA and others, McCormick said. But by 2001, UW had dropped to No. 20, placing it roughly $91 million annually behind the average institutions. McCormick said the school's successes make it all the more difficult to convey its fiscal challenges.

"This is the dual reality behind our fight to protect the future of the University of Washington," McCormick said.

"There's no shortage of student demand for the teaching and learning we provide. It's just that no one wants to pay for it," he said.

McCormick, who told members of the UW community they should make their voices heard to lawmakers in Olympia, predicted that a continued slide in public support will almost surely translate into higher tuition, less access for qualified students, larger class sizes, faculty defections and attrition, low morale and high numbers of unfilled staff and teaching positions.

To meet these demands, the UW will request $60 million in new operating funding in the next biennium. The UW also will request $150 million in new funding for capital projects, primarily for restoring and refurbishing older buildings.

But with the state facing an estimated budget shortfall of more than $2 billion next year, lawmakers with both political parties say finding additional funding for the UW and other state schools will be difficult, if not impossible.

Another problem the UW faces is unrest among some elements of its staff. Members of the Graduate Student Employee Action Coalition/United Auto Workers, which represents student-teaching assistants, graders, tutors and staff assistants, complained that the university is using stall tactics to prevent them from being able to bargain collectively.

Members of Service Employees International Union Local 925 were also on hand to speak out about issues related to pay, overtime and health-care costs.

McCormick and several other UW officials responded by saying such issues are best discussed at the bargaining table.

"They've lost sight that they're part of our total community," said UW Regent Ark G. Chin, "and we have to solve our problems together."

Robert Marshall Wells: 206-464-2607 or rwells@seattletimes.com.