Her message is clear: Don’t take our money.

Binghamton University President Lois DeFleur sounded another call to arms yesterday, asking students to voice opposition to Gov. David Paterson’s proposed budget cuts.

Over the next two weeks, the New York State Legislature and Paterson will be negotiating whether they’ll swipe 90 percent of this spring’s statewide tuition increases, instead putting the money toward the state’s general fund. This would deprive Binghamton University students of over $6 million worth of class offerings, staff wages, heating, software and other day-to-day expenses of running an educational institution.

Politicians are scrambling to make up for the state deficit of the 2008-09 year, which ends March 31. DeFleur is calling Paterson’s proposal a “specialized tax on students and their families.”

And she’s not happy.

DeFleur is stressing that college-educated grads are essential to a healthy economy.

“To be honest about it, the governor and his people are looking for any place they can find dollars, ” the University president told Pipe Dream yesterday. “This is exactly the wrong approach to take because we so much need to have more college-educated people in our state, and we want to retain them in our state.”

DeFleur has been rallying lawmakers, parents, alumni, University members and the community to join hands in the fight to save a proper public higher education. She sent a campus-wide e-mail yesterday urging students to write to their politicians. The message was part of a 3,500-member advocacy effort called “Think Binghamton.” So far, advocates have sent 17,000 messages to politicians.

Last year State University of New York trustees adopted a statewide tuition increase of $310 per semester for in-state undergrads and $1,130 for out-of-state undergrads, effective spring 2009. In addition to tapping into this semester’s increase, Paterson also wants 80 percent of next school year’s tuition increase to bolster the next 2009-10 fiscal year. Talks about 2009-10 will be underway in two weeks.

The state’s higher education system already endured $210 million of cuts in state support this year, including $6.5 million to BU.

“If these budgets are approved, it will mean larger class sizes, fewer class sections, the loss of courses critical to degree programs and fewer full-time faculty due to hiring freezes,” DeFleur said in the e-mail. “This is unfair to you and your families.”

Budget cuts or not, the horizon doesn’t look bright.

“It’s going to get bad,” said David Hagerbaumer, director of campus life. “The question is how bad.”

Hopefully the University will find ways to minimize the impact on student life and the classroom, Hagerbaumer said.

And though there will definitely be changes, “We don’t know exactly what the next mound is going to bring,” he added.

The campus life director said he wasn’t sure if the University will be able to keep up the levels of services that students have come to expect.

“There are going to be some real challenges there,” he said.

Campus Life, for example, won’t be traveling to conferences at this point in an effort to conserve resources.

“We will be depending on other ways to keep our staff up-to-date by using different methodology,” he said.

Hagerbaumer said that access to limited funds also affects the process of hiring staff.

“Until we see the final budget numbers we are not sure if we are going to be able to fill the position for a staff member of Late Nite Binghamton on a permanent basis,” he said.

Class sizes are at stake, which could mean that students will have to become more assertive in seeking out faculty during office hours.

“The communication between teacher and student may not be as personal as it would be in a smaller classroom,” he said.

Still, education is key.

“The University’s first priority is the classroom,” he said.

Though a storm cloud hangs over the world’s economy, the administration is hoping it won’t rain too hard on sunny Binghamton.

“As directors, we are all trying to conserve our resources while we can,” Hagerbaumer said. “We are getting prepared to adjust the way we do business, so we can continue to get the most direct support and services for our students.”