Raises, technology priorities in operating budget

At its quarterly meeting May 26, the UNT Board of Regents approved a university operating budget of nearly $327 million for the 2000-01 academic year, which begins in September.

The new budget, covering the second year of the current biennium, provides an increase of $16.99 million over the 1999-2000 budget. Once again, faculty and staff pay raises and promotions are top priorities.

According to Phil Diebel, vice president for finance and business affairs and special assistant to the chancellor, some $2.99 million (designated for faculty pay raises) and $2.17 million (earmarked for staff pay raises) will fund across-the-board and merit increases.

Faculty members and some staff members will be eligible for merit raises averaging 5 percent. Classified staff members will receive a 2 percent across-the-board raise and an average of 3 percent for merit increases. Diebel notes that because many pay raises will be based on merit, some faculty and staff members may receive more than the average increase and others may receive less.

Increased salaries keep UNT competitive with other universities and reward those whose strong job performances have helped UNT attain and maintain its standing as the leading university in the North Texas region, Diebel says.

An additional $1.64 million in the budget will cover salaries and other costs for 12 new faculty positions and 46 new staff positions.

The 2000-01 budget increase also will cover $639,478 for computer hardware and software maintenance and expanding the capacity and increasing the speed of data communications (e.g., Internet II).

The new budget year also will bring a $400,000 increase in university-based scholarships. Major capital project expenditures for the upcoming budget year include:

• the final $2.21 million (of the $9.01 million designated) for completion of renovations to the Speech/Drama Building
• $3.4 million to begin additions and renovations to the Information Sciences Building
• $14.34 million for construction of the University Gateway Center, which is scheduled to open by late 2001.

In other action, the Board of Regents voted to eliminate a $25 fee charged to replace lost diplomas.

For the upcoming fiscal year, unit heads were asked to use the following themes to request funding for special projects, new initiatives or increases in continuing initiatives. These themes are restatements of some of the university's planning initiatives and planning themes presented for fiscal year 1999-2000.

1. Implement high-quality teaching, learning and campus life strategies to improve undergraduate retention and graduation rates.
2. Increase graduate enrollments.
3. Strengthen scholarship, research and creative activities to a level appropriate to the number and range of doctoral degrees offered by the university and to a level that is competitive with other Texas research universities.
4. Enhance efforts to further diversify the university's student body, faculty and staff.
5. Continue to develop high-quality degree programs and outreach activities at the UNT System Center at Dallas and to develop cooperative efforts with the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth.
6. Strengthen programs and initiatives that will help improve teaching and learning in grades K through 16.
7. Prepare the university to handle the implications of the growing gridlock on I-35 and other Metroplex roadways.
8. Prepare for a capital campaign.

BY RODDY WOLPER rwolper@unt.edu

Additional web resources:

• Board of Regents action

Other featured articles in this issue:

• Regents study future structure of UNT system
• Building university's computers on campus increases quality, savings
• 12 schools use UNT Coliseum for commencement exercises
• e-Texas meets at System Center
• New planetarium show focuses on cells
• Kappelman to direct information systems center
• UNT creates Jewish studies minor
• Final answer: Hoerschelmann researches game shows
• Davison named manager of bookstore
• National track meet planned

homepage