2008 Woodie Awards
Blunt increases state allocations, Truman would receive $233K
Mariah Bohanon
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: News
After several years of denying funding, the state finally is picking up its portion of the University's financial burden.
"Higher education has not really had a great share in recent years," President Barbara Dixon said in her State of the University address Jan. 17.
Dixon utilized a PowerPoint presentation including slides on state appropriations and the University budget. One slide showed how student tuition began covering more of the University's expenses over the past 15 years. Tuition and state funding each cover about 50 percent of the University's budget currently, according to the slide. However, the slide showed that in 1992, state appropriations comprised about 65 percent of the University's budget.
Dixon's address also highlighted recent improvements in state appropriations for the University. She spoke about a three-year plan proposed by Gov. Blunt last year to increase state funding by 4.2 percent on average each year.
"This is just the start of the process," said David Rector, executive director of institutional research and budgets.
Gov. Blunt has proposed a 4.7-percent increase in state appropriations for the University for fiscal year 2008, Rector said.
The state legislature must make a decision concerning Blunt's budget proposal by May, Rector said.
"So if the governor's recommendation goes through, that will put us back right where we were in 2001 in terms of state funding," he said.
State funding covered about 60 percent of the University's budget in 2001, Rector said. When state budget cuts occurred in the following years, the University had to raise tuition prices, he said.
The increase in funds will be spent on several different areas, Rector said. Campus utility costs and faculty and staff salaries probably will be an area of focus for the new budget, he said.
"There's a state minimum wage," Rector said. "If you've been a student working here for a while you'll see the wage we've been paying you has gone up."
"Higher education has not really had a great share in recent years," President Barbara Dixon said in her State of the University address Jan. 17.
Dixon utilized a PowerPoint presentation including slides on state appropriations and the University budget. One slide showed how student tuition began covering more of the University's expenses over the past 15 years. Tuition and state funding each cover about 50 percent of the University's budget currently, according to the slide. However, the slide showed that in 1992, state appropriations comprised about 65 percent of the University's budget.
Dixon's address also highlighted recent improvements in state appropriations for the University. She spoke about a three-year plan proposed by Gov. Blunt last year to increase state funding by 4.2 percent on average each year.
"This is just the start of the process," said David Rector, executive director of institutional research and budgets.
Gov. Blunt has proposed a 4.7-percent increase in state appropriations for the University for fiscal year 2008, Rector said.
The state legislature must make a decision concerning Blunt's budget proposal by May, Rector said.
"So if the governor's recommendation goes through, that will put us back right where we were in 2001 in terms of state funding," he said.
State funding covered about 60 percent of the University's budget in 2001, Rector said. When state budget cuts occurred in the following years, the University had to raise tuition prices, he said.
The increase in funds will be spent on several different areas, Rector said. Campus utility costs and faculty and staff salaries probably will be an area of focus for the new budget, he said.
"There's a state minimum wage," Rector said. "If you've been a student working here for a while you'll see the wage we've been paying you has gone up."
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