Wednesday, January 14, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 5
University begs for state surplus
By Brandon Cople
Kanson staff writer
The State of Kansas has a lot of money to spend, and a short time to spend it.
The University of Kansas has four months to lobby, beg, reason and work with the legislators who decide how much the University gets and where the money goes.
Chancellor Robert Hemenway's goals this legislative session include securing funding for major technological upgrades and for faculty pay raises. Marlin Rein, university director of governmental relations, said the University also would watch developments in a plan to bring community colleges under the Board of Regents control, urge approval of a bill to reorganize the University of Kansas Medical Center and seek health insurance coverage for GTAs.
Of those goals, Hemenway's top priorities are the Med Center and funding for technology and faculty raises. Both have strong support from the governor and key legislators, but both face a hard road to passage, Rein said.
"Right now, everybody is feeling good," he said. "The legislators have plenty of time, and they're pretty agreeable to a lot of ideas. But as the session wears on, there are conflicts and issues that overlap, and it's harder to reach people, which makes it much more difficult to get your concerns addressed."
With state revenues high, the spending measures stand a better chance in 1998 than in previous years.
On Monday, Governor Bill Graves delivered his budget message to the legislature, which included technology funding and
Graves: Proposed budget is being evaluated in the Legislature.
faculty salary increases in his budget requests.
The governor recommended a 4 percent increase in faculty salaries. All raises would be merit-based, according to Graves' budget report. For a technology upgrade, the governor
proposed that $5 million be spread among regents institutions. Graves recommended an additional student fee of one dollar per credit hour to be matched by two dollars per credit hour from the state.
Assistant Provost Rich Givens said the University's share of the one-time, $5 million allocation would go toward an update of technological infrastructure across campus, especially in Malott and Learned Halls. Givens said about
one third of that money would go into computer systems. The remainder will help update communications and laboratory equipment.
Rein said that the abundant resources and the governor's recommendation were encouraging.
"We have to be optimistic about our budget," he said. "If we can't do well this year, then you have to wonder when we can."
The Med Center reorganization has a running start because the bill was proposed in the 1997 session. It passed the Senate last year and had the governor's endorsement, but the legislature was not able to agree on a series of controversial amendments.
The goal is to establish the Med Center as a public authority that could compete in the private market. The bill moves the Med Center governance from the Board of Regents to a hospital board of directors. It also creates a public authority that would be free from bureaucratic procedures.
At the end of last year's session, the bill got caught in the political switches. Legislators were unable to compromise on amendments prohibiting abortion, allowing legislators to sit on the board, and allowing the sale of the Med Center to a private company.
State Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence, chairwoman of the Senate Public Health and Welfare committee, said the same thing could happen this year.
Legislative issues
Higher education governance
GTA health insurance
The legislature deals every year with how it could reduce community college reliance on local property tax. Those institutions may removed from the authority of the state Board of Education and brought under the control of the Board of Regents. Hemenway said he planned to fight to make sure the Regents system, if changed, is not dismantled.
The University will propose a plan to bring graduate teaching assistants into state employee health plans, Marlin Rein said. The governor did not approve the University's request, and the issue has never been addressed.
Tuition accountability
Tuition accountability allows universities to retain a portion of unexpected tuition revenue. The University opposes any attempt to curb or eliminate tuition accountability.
"It if doesn't get done fast, it will probably get caught in the same kind of political dealing," she said. "Last year it became a battleground for all kinds of issues."
A conference committee composed of three members each from the House and the Senate may convene as early as this week to take up the issues remaining from last session.
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