Olympia Updates

SENATOR WEST PREPARES TO RELEASE OPERATING BUDGET THAT GIVES PRIORITY TO HIGHER ED

The chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee is preparing to release a proposed operating budget Monday that will provide 766 new enrollments for WSU, raise undergraduate resident tuition by 4 percent per year to fund institutional priorities, provide 3 percent salary increases for state employees, and allow for additional faculty and administrative professionals salary increases. The exact impact on Washington State University will not be available until the budget details are released but university officials already are indicating they are pleased by the proposal. It is clear to WSU officials from the preliminary information described by West that his budget, while limited in spending by fiscal constraints not imposed on the Locke budget, will give a priority to higher education. Unlike Locke, West is forced to decrease his budget because of Legislature-supported tax cuts. West's proposal will be considered next week by the full Senate. House Appropriations Chairman Tom Huff is expected to announce his version of the budget the following week as the state House of Representatives also begins discussing the operating budget.

West Proposes 766 New Enrollments for Washington State University

"We meet our commitment to the baby boom echo students headed for our colleges by funding 6,500 new enrollments," West said in a written statement issued by his office. "But we didn't stop there. We backed our commitment by funding 100 percent of the instructional costs associated with giving these students a seat in the classroom." West's proposal will increase the contract enrollment number for the WSU system from 19,330 students to 19,510 in 1997-98 and 20,096 in 1998-99. That's 210 students less for the biennium than recommended by Gov. Locke. However, WSU is pleased with the West enrollment recommendations, especially because Sen. West had to work within the Senate's decision to cut taxes and fund more community college programs from the general fund, restrictions that Locke did not have on his budget. The West budget will increase enrollment 1.9 percent in Pullman, 22.7 percent in Spokane, 19.3 percent in Tri-Cities, and 24.7 percent in Vancouver over the next biennium. But indications are that there will be no "enrollment band," as the governor proposed, leaving the institutions no margin for error in hitting their budgeted enrollment targets.

State Employees Would Receive a 3% Cost-of-Living Increase July 1; Additional Increases for Faculty & A/P Permitted.

State employee salaries would increase by 3 percent next biennium in the proposed West budget. Locke provided for two salary increases next biennium, 2.5 percent per year. However, West said he will give WSU and other higher education institutions the authority to fund salaries for faculty or administrative professionals from tuition increases that would provide an amount equal to an additional 1 percent salary increase (4 percent total) in 1998 and an additional 2 percent in 1999.

West To Provide More Money than Locke for UW-WSU Faculty Retention Pool. While the Locke budget generally provides more funding than West for WSU, based on preliminary information from the Senate, West's proposed Senate budget nevertheless provides more money for a "retention pool," funds which WSU can use to make salary offers to retain key faculty members being recruited by other institutions. Locke provided $2.3 million for the two institutions while West said he will provide $6.4 million. West has informed WSU that its share is $2.13 million, compared to about $750,000 provided by Locke.

Budget Cuts to Existing Programs. Like Gov. Locke, Sen. West is proposing cuts to existing programs equal to 2 percent of the "non-instructional" WSU budget. WSU could apply to get the funding back for new programs. However, West said he will not use Locke's method of forcing WSU to compete against other institutions for these funds.

Tuition Monies. If WSU uses West's option to fund salaries from tuition increases, it will leave less money for other programs like Virtual WSU. Locke did not designate about $7.2 million of these monies. West will likely leave less than $2.5 million undesignated.