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1st appeared
11
January 2001
Governor's Budget Offers
Boost to UC
Gov. Gray Davis proposed
a 2001-02 state budget yesterday (Jan. 10) that would fund the enrollment
of 5,700 more students at the University of California, maintain affordable
fees for students and their families, boost employee salaries, invest
in UC initiatives benefiting the state and its economy, and maintain
high-quality teaching, research and public service programs.
The budget provides the
second phase of funding for the California Institutes for Science
and Innovation and for a UC initiative to strengthen undergraduate
education. It also expands support for graduate programs, provides
new state support for summer instruction at three campuses and funds
an expansion of student retention services.
"This is a budget that will
allow the University of California to continue admitting all qualified
students and providing them an education of the highest quality, while
also focusing on the economic and social needs of California," said
UC President Richard C. Atkinson.
The governor's budget fully
funds the "partnership agreement" between the university and the Davis
administration, which calls for predictable annual increases in state
support for UC's basic operations along with UC accountability in
certain areas of performance. The budget also commits funds to some
additional UC initiatives, largely for one-time, high-priority purposes.
Under the governor's plan,
UC's state-funded operating budget would rise 6.3 percent in 2001-02
to $3.4 billion. Highlights of the budget include:
- Funding for an additional
5,700 students in 2001-02, or enrollment growth of 3.5 percent,
including 1,000 additional students in engineering and computer
science and 500 in education credential programs to help meet California's
workforce needs. Overall, the budget boosts graduate enrollments
by 1,000 students; UC has initiated a multi-year effort to expand
support for graduate education because the success of California's
economy depends in part on the research and training provided by
graduate programs.
- No increase in mandatory
systemwide student fees, for the seventh consecutive year. These
fees would remain at $3,429 for resident undergraduates and $3,609
for resident graduate academic students, excluding miscellaneous
campus-based fees. Between 1998-99 and 1999-2000, systemwide fees
actually decreased 10 percent for resident undergraduates and 5
percent for resident graduate academic students.
- Funding for an average
2 percent employee salary increase, along with funding for merit
increases for eligible employees. The budget would provide an additional
$10 million to improve compensation for staff positions where pay
levels currently lag the market. (Actual distribution of salary
increases varies by compensation program and is subject to collective
bargaining requirements.)
- An additional 1 percent
increase for faculty, to keep their salaries competitive with those
of UC's comparison institutions across the country.
- $75 million as the second
of four installments of funding for the California Institutes for
Science and Innovation, three cutting-edge research facilities selected
by Gov. Davis last month following a peer-review process. The budget
also proposes $33 million as the first of three installments of
funding for a fourth institute, focusing on information technology.
- A $1.5 million increase
for graduate and professional school outreach programs that encourage
undergraduates to continue their studies, and a $1.1 million increase
for an electronic information system aimed at transfer students.
- One-time funding of
$13 million for research important to the state in engineering and
computer science, environmental science, and integrated pest management,
with at least $9 million of that amount to support graduate students
in each of these areas; $18 million to expand student and faculty
access to the new, faster Internet2; $20 million for deferred maintenance,
instructional equipment and library materials.
- A $203 million bond-funded
capital budget for facilities projects at UC, and $160 million in
general funds for construction of the first buildings and infrastructure
at UC Merced.
The budget will be considered
by the Legislature and revised by the governor in May, when new revenue
forecasts become available. Final action on the budget generally occurs
in June.
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