"I want to have immediate access to the best hospitals," he said in an interview, explaining why he chose his health care program. "But when it comes to a simple blood test, I would like to have the opportunity to have that at UHS."

In a letter sent to University Provost Albert Carnesale last week, another professor expressed concern about limits on freedom of choice. "It seems to me plain ridiculous for the University's own health facilities not to be available to the University's own faculty and staff on terms such as other plans seem to be able to offer," wrote Anthony G. Oettinger, McKay Professor of Applied Mathematics and Professor of Information Resources Policy in the letter.

Reducing Section Sizes a Priority

Summarizing his annual budget letter to the Faculty, Knowles said he is not concerned that the Faculty's deficit of one million dollars last year grew from the previous year.

He said that creating new faculty positions and expanding information technology are also among the Faculty's priorities. The issue of section sizes will be taken up by the resources committee in the near future, he said.

--Erwin R. Rosinberg contributed to the reporting of this story.