Ramifications from the proposed education budget in the Iowa Legislature could be “extremely serious,” ISU President Martin Jischke said during a briefing Thursday.

“This budget proposition is extremely discouraging,” he said. “We’re looking at the worst budget cut since I’ve been here.”

If passed, the budget could cut more than $12 million from Iowa State’s funding request for the 2001 fiscal year, Jischke said.

One way to make up for the potential cut, he said, would be to use funds from the 4.3 percent tuition increase that will go into effect this fall at Iowa State.

While this would reduce the amount of the budget shortfall to $7.5 million, Jischke said it would prevent other projects the money was originally intended for, including reducing class sizes and increasing technology at Iowa State.

“That is not what we wanted or intended to do,” he said. “It is not what we told the students we would do.”

Although $7.5 million may not seem large when considering Iowa State’s total budget, Jischke said it is a very substantial amount. He said the potential shortfall is equal to the budget of one of four Iowa State colleges, the salaries of 150 full-time employees or a 10 percent tuition increase for all ISU students.

Jischke said the potential budget cuts could affect many different aspects of Iowa State. One of the main areas he said could experience a cut will be the number of classes and programs offered to students.

“It is unimaginable that it will not affect our programs,” he said. “It is substantially less than we need.”

Jischke said he is not sure which specific programs will be affected, but ISU administrators and college deans are evaluating their budgets to see what areas could be cut.

Besides programming and classes for current students, Jischke said the proposed budget cuts could also have an effect on the number of potential students and faculty at Iowa State.

“People pay attention to this, especially students with other options,” he said.

Jischke said the potential cut could have an especially negative effect since enrollment at Iowa State is increasing, and the university is looking for new faculty and administrative positions, such as a new Dean of Agriculture.

He said potential faculty looking at Iowa State may question the apparent lack of state support, especially since other schools across the nation are experiencing an increasing amount of funding from their state governments.

“This makes it extraordinarily difficult to be able to recruit very talented and able people,” Jischke said. “In the long run, this is very unwise.”

Concerns about the proposed education budget are shared not only by administrators at Iowa’s other regent institutions, Jischke said, but also by Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.

Jischke said Vilsack has expressed his concern that the education budget endorsed by Iowa legislators is inadequate for the regent universities’ needs.

While the budget proposed by Vilsack also cuts funding for Iowa’s regent institutions, Jischke said the shortfall would only be around $1 million or $2 million instead of $7.5 million for Iowa State.

“The governor’s budget is substantially better for us,” he said. “It would be much easier to manage.”

Jischke said he has been very impressed by the amount of involvement from the students on this issue, and he hopes they continue to be involved.

“I’ve visited with the Government of the Student Body, and we’ve discussed these issues,” he said. “I think our students have an understanding of the implications of this.”

Jischke said he and other regent officials will continue to talk to the governor and legislators at the Statehouse until the budget is voted on.

“This is what I’m most concerned about,” he said. “This is really awful for us.”