Locke: critical student LEARNING enhancements with virtually no cost to taxpayers
A 1998 "supplemental operating budget" for Washington State University announced this afternoon by Gov. Gary Locke proposes some critical enhancements for student learning throughout the WSU system with virtually no additional cost to taxpayers. The proposed supplemental budget provides about $3 million in essential new funding for WSU. Most notably, $750,000 is provided for WSU faculty assistance and equipment to effectively use more technology in traditional classrooms and through distance learning. The governor designates WSU's Center for Teaching and Learning in Pullman to provide support for faculty at Eastern Washington University, Central Washington University, Western Washington University and The Evergreen State College. The funding will promote effective teaching with technology that will also assist in redesigning the curriculum. There are also important, though less glamorous, appropriations in other areas of the WSU budget to fund support to the university from the state attorney general's office ($1.9 million) and some technical operating costs ($700,000) of the proposed K-20 teaching network backbone.
The supplemental budget is a mid-course "tune-up" of the 1997-99 two-year operating budget passed by the Legislature earlier this year. Legislators, who will begin meeting in January, will likely consider a 1998 supplemental budget such as proposed by the governor. Lawmakers stress that the supplemental budget must be fiscally lean with only essential changes to the current budget addressed. The governor's proposal for WSU should be well within those criteria. The fiscal impact on state government of $3 million in WSU "enhancements" will be almost invisible because the governor accepted revised enrollment targets proposed this fall by WSU which saved about $2.7 million in general fund appropriations approved by the 1997 Legislature.
WSU has continued to grow to a record enrollment of 19,164 FTE students. But this growth has not come as rapidly at the Tri-Cities and Pullman campuses as WSU expected. So, as part of on-going enrollment management, WSU requested the governor to adjust its budgeted targets set in the biennial budget. The governor's proposed supplemental budget, which reflects these requested enrollment adjustments, still allows substantial enrollment growth throughout the WSU system next year. WSU Pullman, which is expected to have 16,873 students (average annual FTE) this year, will be able to grow by 399 students to 17,272 for the fiscal year beginning next fall. WSU Tri-Cities, which is projected to finish with 675 students this year, will be able to grow by another 79 FTE in the coming academic year. No changes have been made in budgeted targets for WSU Vancouver, which has funding to grow by another 120 students to 971 FTE next fall. The largest growth is projected for WSU Spokane, which has the capacity to grow by 154 FTE to 442 total students, a 53 percent increase in current enrollment levels. A shift in Pharmacy students to Spokane next year is expected to make possible much of that growth.
LOCKE CAPITAL BUDGET: $3 MILLION FOR URGENT BUILDING AND INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS
The governor also provided $3 million in one-time funding in the 1998 capital budget to cover funding shortfalls for necessary repairs to electrical systems, plumbing, ventilation and other needs in university buildings and facilities. WSU had requested $3.5 million. Locke also proposes a sales tax exemption on labor at WSU and other state school construction projects.
WSU HOPES THE LEGISLATURE CAN BUILD ON LOCKE BUDGET PROPOSALS
The Locke capital and supplemental operating budgets provide funding for innovative ways of teaching students and cover most of the vital minimum needs that the university has asked the Legislature to address in the 1998 legislative session. It is a revised budget that has very little impact on limited state revenues. The university is supportive of the Locke initiatives. However, WSU is disappointed that the governor did not address some additional needs:
1) No funding is provided for K-20 Classrooms in Wenatchee, Puyallup, Colville, North Seattle, and Pullman. The governor's budget recognized the need for more distance learning and technology for instruction. However, the proposed budget did not fund a $1.085 million WSU request for one-time expenditures for electronic and video equipment necessary to deliver additional programs to four off-campus locations and to originate more classes from the Pullman campus. All but one of these requests (North Seattle) were supported by the state Higher Education Coordinating Board. WSU hopes the Legislature will revisit this issue and provide funding for all five locations so the student benefits of the new K-20 "electronic highway" can be demonstrated at start-up
2) No funding is provided for distinguished professorships and graduate fellowships. The governor carefully weighed an innovative proposal by the state's four-year public higher education institutions and community colleges to set up an endowment program matched by private funds for higher education. However, the governor finally decided not to include the proposal in his initial budget, perhaps waiting to see how much popularity the idea has with Legislators. Especially hurt by this decision are WSU programs that have received private funds for distinguished professorships and graduate fellowships, and have been waiting for the state match. Also, advanced research technology funding was provided only to UW, with no funding to WSU projects.
3) No funding is provided to deal with Johnson Hall air quality issues. WSU requested $1 million in the supplemental capital budget for design and pre-installation of a new building ventilation system and in Pullman's Johnson Hall. Employees and students have complained of poor air quality in the building that houses both agricultural research and many student classrooms.
