TEMPE, AZ–February 26, 2002–Students at Arizona State University’s East campus may not get the chance to make wafers in a 15,000 square-foot classroom if legislators continue to swing the budget ax to make up for a $1 billion shortfall.

“If we get cut, we’ll have to stop (the training room) in its tracks,” ASU East provost Charles Backus told The Associated Press. “We couldn’t afford the electricity needed to operate it.”

The room would include $5 million worth of donated equipment from technology giants such as Intel and Motorola, and private employers would provide on-the-job training for students.

The state’s three universities face a combined loss of $17 million to $38 million next year under proposals being floated at the state Capitol. That represents 3 percent to 5 percent of the state’s university funding.

The cuts would follow a 4.5 percent cut in higher education from the current budget and come at a time of growing money needs because of higher enrollments and inflation.