Originally published in Synapse on March 2, 1973.
UC President Charles Hitch said last week the Federal Budget is “more bad news” for the university. Hitch, speaking at the monthly meeting of the regents in Los Angeles said that the Federal Budget, as proposed by President Nixon could cost the university around $80 million the next 28 months.
While Hitch noted that the Nixon proposals are subject to congressional change or veto, he also noted severe repercussions that could result if the president’s proposals become public policy.
Student aid, aid to the Health Sciences, research support, aid to graduate students and aid to agriculture headed the list of programs which Hitch felt would suffer under the federal budget.
Hitch showed marked concern over the proposed Basic Opportunity Grants for students, which would replace most types of presently available student aid. Although Hitch announced no objections to the basic concept of the BOG program, he was concerned over the problems of administering the new program in the 1973-74 year.
He asked that congress continue existing programs for at least one year to provide time for colleges and universities across the nation to adjust to the new system.
Hitch also leveled the same criticism that has been leveled at many of President Nixon’s domestic programs, that the BOG grants would not provide as much in funds as present federal programs. Health Science programs will also be hurt by the federal Nixon programs, according to Hitch.
He said the worst cuts would come in the phasing out of two major federal support programs; support for Medical and Biomedical training grants and fellowships, and support of construction of new health science facilities.
Hitch said the Nixon proposals have caused the university to “scale down” plans for construction already and suggested that further scaling down will be in order in the near future.
Both the National Science Foundation and the Atomic Energy Commission will be adversely affected by the Nixon proposals in the university’s view Hitch said.
He first talked of "disturbing trends” in both agencies, namely the shift from basic research to mission-oriented research and the shift from grants to contracts, which implies more federal control of J funds.
Hitch then said that reductions of funding of research by the Atomic Energy Commission would result in the “letting go” of several hundred employees at the two Lawrence Laboratories at Berkeley and Livermore and at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory by the first of July.
