Matzke says that 65 percent of Yale's buildings were constructed during aten-year period in the 1920s and 1930s. Sincethen, they have not received sufficientmaintenance work, she says.

In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Yale neglectedits buildings, choosing instead to invest facultyfunds in bolstering a need-blind admissionspolicy, making the transition to a coeducationalschool, building an extensive library collectionand buttressing faculty salaries to competitivelevels, Matzke says.

"Maintenance work was not a top priority," shesays, "and the university has acknowledged thatthe problem that has resulted...is significant."

But the Yale administration, struggling with an$8.8 million deficit, will probably not be able toafford all of the work required, Matzke says.

Recently, a Yale budget review committee, inassessing the deficit, suggested that theuniversity reduce the size of its faculty andeliminate several departments and institutes.

The committee recommended that Yale cut itsfaculty by 10.7 percent, losing total of 114positions by attrition. It also advised the Yalefaculty to eliminate its linguistics andoperations research departments, as well as asocial policies research center.

In addition, the budget review committeesuggested sharp cuts for the engineering, physicsand sociology departments