Still, most Harvard officials seem somewhat optimistic that the final cuts won't be as dramatic.
A cut in the range of 50 percent is an "incredibly unusual occurrence. I've never seen that level of funds-cutting ever in an appropriations committee," Casey said.
Officials said the fight in the Senate should be more fruitful.
Universities in dozens of states are banding together to fight the cuts, The universities also expect Sen. Edward M.Kennedy '54-'56 (D-Mass), a member of the ArmedServices Committee, to help restore the funding. Kennedy's office did not return two phone callsyesterday. "I think that would be a very large cut for theSenate to go for," Casey said. "I hope that's notprobable." But he did say that "it is an extremelydifficult budget climate.