UNI Legislative Update
The Office of Governmental Relations provides legislative updates to the campus community through online communication and bimonthly campus presentations. These updates will inform faculty, staff and students of hot topics facing the legislature and legislative actions affecting UNI and the Regents institutions.
January 15, 2008
Governor Culver's Budget Recommendations
Good morning, Panthers.
This morning, Governor Culver delivered his annual Condition of the State address to the legislature and outlined his budget recommendations. Specifically to the Regent enterprise the Governor is recommending the following:
$41.9 million in salary funding
$4.7 million for the Math & Science Initiative to be "headquartered" at UNI
$10 million for deferred maintenance and fire safety
This is a terrific start. The salary funding recommendation is about 90% of what the Regents requested and the Math & Science Initiative recommendation is roughly $800,000 short of what the Board requested.
As it stands now, you are tasked to contact your legislators and convey how important it is that the legislature fully fund the Regent's legislative request...especially the salary portion (we have to pay the professors and staff personnel regardless of how much or little the legislature gives us). The cost of not fully funding the Regents would ultimately fall to the students and their families in the form of tuition increases net year. Here are a few links to additional information on the budget recommendations and remember to reach out to your elected leaders and to check back for updates.