Show War causes colleges to turn down the heat CPS IRAQ'S invasion of Kuwait and the resulting surge inthe in inthe inthe the cost of oil have brought the world to war and pulled hundreds of collegians out of class to serve in the armed forces Now they're about to tomake tomake tomake make this the coldest winter in years on many college cam cam- Many schools already are strictly following federal conservation conservation conservation con con- guidelines imposed immediately after the crisis began to keep thermostats in classes dorms and offices set anywhere from 65 degrees to 68 degrees Some of the conference rooms are a little chi chilly ly admitted admitted admitted ad ad- University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsyl Pennsyl- vania resident adviser Ira Gluck Penn has lowered the temperature in all its buildings buildings buildings build build- ings by five degrees Dorm rooms cant can't be warmer than 68 degrees In other buildings the limit is 65 degrees With the cost of oil rising from about 20 per barrel before the invasion to its current current current cur cur- rent price of about 25 per barrel colleges many already in the middle of budget nightmare brought on by a alack alack alack lack of state funding have to figure out how to cover skyrocketing fuel costs When youre you're paying a year its it's hard to understand understand understand un un- un- un why its it's cold in your dorm room admitted Harvey Harvey Harvey Har Har- vey Kaiser vice president at Syracuse University Its It's important important important im im- im- im he added to get students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents to cooperate by turning out unnecessary lights and keeping doors closed Schools that use oil as the main source of heat typically in the Northeast have been hardest hit Campuses heated with coal or natural gas haven't been affected as directly Its lilts wonderful declared Kermit Lidstrom president of Bismarck State College in North Dakota one of the country's bigger oil producing states The more oil we produce the more money goes to the state treasury and the more chance that we can get higher appropriations Lidstrom explained Meanwhile Bismarck which is heated with natural gas isn't affected We think oil is too cheap Forty dollar a atIt barrel would be just grea great tIt But indirectly oil prices reach all parts of the economy Because of higher gasoline prices tion costs also force food prices up Philadelphia Thermal Energy which heats the Penn campus raised its rates by 15 percent during the fall Penns Penn's fuel bill consequently will be about 2 million more than expected Officials are hoping that lowering the heat and discouraging the use of alternate alternate alternate alter alter- nate heat sources such as space heaters will save at least 1 million Yet schools in general seem to have done a a good job jobin jobin jobin in learning to deal with sudden sudden sudden sud sud- den leaps in the price of oil Two previous energy crises in 1973 and 1979 sent campuses campuses campuses cam cam- reeling Expenses increased increased increased in in- creased dramatically while funding dropped Colleges had to defer maintenance on buildings and put off professors' professors raises Tuition rose roseby roseby roseby by more than 10 percent a year On liOn the whole said Walter Walter Walter Wal Wal- ter head of the Vir Vir- ginia-based ginia Association of Physical Plant Administrators of Universities and Colleges campuses are much less dependent dependent dependent de de- de- de pendent on oil than even four or five years ago It lilt was just a matter of time before it happened again and we knew it We arent aren't experiencing a abig abig abig big impact here affirmed HC Lott a vice president at atthe atthe atthe the University of Texas Aus tin which like most other schools in the Southwest relies mostly on natural gas Additionally many campuses campuses campuses cam cam- now have the capability to switch quickly among coal oil and gas to provide their own power plants But it can still hurt Its It's costing George Mason University in Washington DC D.C. an extra 10 10 million in heating bills Rutgers University in New Jersey anticipates spending 21 million this school year for utilities costs about 4 million more than was allocated allocated allocated allo allo- before the Aug 2 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait Were going to try some energy conservation measures and well we'll cut back some other ti programs said Dick Engle assistant vice president for facilities of four Rutgers cam cam- Academics Engle declared is the last thing we want to touch |