Olympia Update No. 13 ● May 19,
2009
Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1244 Signed
From: Larry Ganders, Assistant to the President
Click Here for Print-Ready Adobe PDF Version
Click Here for the final operating budget bill
Gregoire
signs 2009-2011
biennial operating budget
A 2009-2011
state operating budget that reduces WSU funding by $54.2 million and
raises resident undergraduate tuition 14 percent was signed into law
today by Gov. Christine Gregoire.
While the budget
is designed to fund the state for the biennium beginning July 1, the
budget bill contains an emergency clause and therefore many of its
provisions are effective immediately. Many hope the governor’s
action ends the long, grinding effort to refine a balanced state
budget in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great
Depression.
The new
operating budget bill
provides that half of the state cut will be offset by $15.7 million
in federal stimulus dollars and the assumed tuition increases,
leaving WSU with a 10.4 percent “net” budget reduction of $54.2
million next biennium. Ten percent was the target that Gov.
Christine Gregoire supported in negotiations with the House and the
Senate. Legislative staff use a different formula that is sometimes
quoted in public reports. It represents the same 10 percent WSU cut
as a “7 percent reduction.”
While the cuts
are deep, the Legislature and the Governor did not attempt to manage
many of the details of the reductions WSU must take. Like many
agencies, the WSU section of the budget dealt only with cuts. There
were no specific provisions for adding money for new programs that
has been common for many years. WSU ended up with a total
appropriation of $425.2 million, including a one-time appropriation
of $15.7 million in federal stimulus education stabilization dollars
for next year. Most of the WSU budget instructions consisted of
general guidelines and some advice on selected areas. The WSU budget
section and related sections states the university should:
·
Enroll a minimum of 22,250 students each
year of the biennium. The university is expected to easily exceed
that contract number. It represents the university’s current
contract number and about 1,000 students less than are currently
enrolled at the university.
·
Seek
to minimize
impacts on student services and instructional programs by maximizing
reduction in administration and other non-instructional activity.”
· Maintain
and endeavor to increase enrollment at branch campuses.
·
Maintain and endeavor to increase enrollment in the biological and
biomedical sciences, computer and information sciences, education
with specializations in special education, math, or science;
engineering and engineering technology, health professions and
related clinical sciences; mathematics and statistics.
·
Eliminate and consolidate programs for which there is limited
student or employer demand, or that are not areas of core academic
strength for the institution.
·
Should “minimize” reductions to agricultural extension services,
including such work performed at the research stations.
There was a 40 percent reduction in potential university research
funding scheduled to be allocated through the “Life Sciences
Discovery Fund.” These are tobacco settlement dollars to the state
that are estimated to be $65 million next biennium. The budget
redirects $26 million to the general fund.
While short on money, the
budget mandates many reports and other documents from the
institutions: One requirement is that a new performance agreement
should be proposed by November, 2010, that would predict student
enrollment by campuses, baccalaureate and advanced degree
production, undergraduate retention and graduation rates, time-to
degree for entering freshmen, research, and capital investment
required to meet enrollment targets and maintain existing capacity.
Another requirement is for WSU to separate federal stimulus dollars
out and account for their expenditure separately.
Coupled with the recent
action of the Board of Regents, Gregoire’s signature today on the
budget and related bills sets WSU student tuition for each of the
next two years. For resident students, these are generally the rates
next fall:
Undergraduate
$ 7,600
(14 %)
Graduate
$
8,456 (5 %)
Doctor of Pharmacy
$16,092 (10 %)
Graduate Nursing
$13,946
(10 %)
Veterinary Medicine
$18,332
(7 %)
There are similar percentage increases for non-residents.
Non-resident undergraduate tuition increases 5.3 percent to $18,676.
Non-resident graduate tuition increases 5 percent to $20,644. PharmD,
MBA and Graduate Nursing all increases 10 percent for non-residents.
Non-resident veterinary medicine tuition increases 7 percent to
$45,342.
To allow these budgeted tuition increases, legislators suspended the
7 percent annual statutory cap on undergraduate tuition hikes for
two years. Lawmakers believe that tax credits and additional federal
financial aid will offset the increases. The governor signed the
suspension Monday in Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2344. The
budget requires that at least one-seventh of the additional tuition
revenue above seven percent “should be used to provide additional
financial aid to resident undergraduate students.”
For today's
status of bills
(passed and failed) affecting WSU -
http://www.olympia.wsu.edu/Status/2009_Shortlist_May5.aspx
For governor’s actions
through Tuesday
on bills
successful in the 2009 Legislature, go to:
http://www.olympia.wsu.edu/Status/2009_Maylist_May12.aspx
Olympia Update is
produced for persons interested in state government developments affecting
Washington State University. For more information, go to
www.olympia.wsu.edu. Contact:
Larry Ganders, Assistant to the President, 360-534-2330.
From WSU campuses, dial 4-2330.
If you wish to subscribe to Olympia Update directly by email go to
www.olympia.wsu.edu/Update.aspx
