Legislature OKs salary increase

Now that the 77th Texas Legislature has concluded its business for the 2002-03 biennium, UNT can get down to the business of completing university and system budgets for the new fiscal year that starts Sept. 1.

Crucial bills affecting higher education were among the last bills Texas lawmakers approved before the end of the session May 28.

Now, although they still are waiting to see the finally approved language in the last bills to pass, Chancellor Alfred F. Hurley and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs Phil Diebel characterize the coming biennium as "a time of tight budgeting" for UNT and for all public universities and colleges in Texas.

Diebel also points out a caveat in practically every bill stating that funding is contingent on certification by the comptroller that sufficient funds are available.

The legislative session, according to Hurley and Diebel, provided both encouragement and disappointment for UNT and other state schools.

Some of the items Hurley and Diebel found encouraging include:

• The approval of a 4 percent state-funded salary increase for staff in the first year of the biennium;

• A grant of authority and funding to the UNT System Regents to issue tuition revenue bonds for the construction of a science building on the Denton campus and a new biotechnology/public health building at the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth;

• A grant of authority to the Regents to plan the campus and ultimately construct the first building for the University of North Texas at Dallas;

• Approval of a new fund generated through the Higher Education Assistance Fund that will bring UNT more than $4 million in research and excellence funding over the next two years;

• A new $2.25 million exceptional item appropriation for the UNT System Center at Dallas raises system center funding to $6.45 million for the 2002-03 biennium; and

• Strong action by the legislature at a cost of $290 million to protect medical insurance programs for both current and retired faculty and staff members.

However, a number of proposals for special and exceptional item funding did not win approval in the legislative session. Priority items that did not receive funding include:

• Almost $4.5 million to cover increases in tuition, fees, room and board at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science;

• $5.6 million to cover general operating support to met the growing demand for degree programs at the UNT System Center at Dallas;

• More than $1.2 million to establish a UNT Center for Solid State Chemistry;

• More than $1.1 million to establish a UNT Center for Watershed Analysis and Management;

• Almost $1.1 million to establish an Autism Resource Training Center with a statewide mission;

• $1 million to establish a Texas Center for Environmental Science Education at UNT to create a statewide network of environmental science education mini-centers to encourage the use of the environment as a contest for science learning;

• Almost $2.4 million for institutional enhancements;

• $200,000 to fund the Center for Volunteerism; and

• Almost $1.7 million to help provide computer laboratories, distance education facilities and support staff at the Federation of North Texas Area Universities' Universities Center at Dallas.

Hurley noted that the fact that only $200,000 was allocated for the operation of the UNT System administration is another source of concern.

On the other hand, Diebel reports that all of the university's funding for existing special items was renewed at current levels.

Salary increases

Pay raises of 4 percent, with a minimum of $100 per month, will go to staff (non-faculty employees) who were employees of the university on or before Sept. 1, 2000. However, phased eligibility will be provided to others on Sept. 1, 2002, and March 1, 2003.

The Legislature also provided for an additional staff salary increase of 3 percent, with a $65-per-month minimum, effective Sept. 1, 2002, if the comptroller can certify that sufficient funds are available.

UNT will be reviewing revenues to locate financing for faculty pay increases for 2002 and 2003.

New construction

Lawmakers granted the UNT Regents authority to issue $27.4 million in tuition revenue bonds to build a new science building on the Denton campus and another $27.5 million in revenue bonds for a biotechnology center and school of public health building for UNTHSC. They also granted authorization, but no immediate funding, for a $25.5 million building on the proposed UNT-Dallas campus.

Each public university was granted only one new building for the biennium.

Research funding

The legislators also approved the creation of two separate excellence funds that will provide $67.5 million in research funding to state universities. All public higher education institutions except the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University and Prairie View A&M are eligible.

UNT's allocation of more than $4 million comes from the Texas Excellence Fund. Although 23 universities participate, the bill that passed calls for diverting 80 percent of an appropriated $33.8 million to the "qualifying research universities" – the University of Houston, Texas Tech University and UNT. Beginning in 2004, the funding is to be allocated on the basis of comprehensive research university criteria that calls for $15 million in research expenditures for each of the previous two years and 45 Ph.D. degrees awarded in science, engineering agricultural science and clinical and experimental psychology.

The other fund, the University Research Fund for Certain PUF (Permanent University Fund) Institutions, distributes $33.8 million to eight participating PUF universities, including UTA and UTD. Its less stringent criteria for doctoral and research universities calls for an average of $5 million in restricted research over three previous years and 50 or more Ph.D. degrees awarded in any discipline during each of the two previous years. A legislative committee will review this method of research funding during the interim period before the 2003 legislative session.

BY RODDY WOLPER rwolper@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT community pays homage to slain vice president for development
• Forney named merchandising and hospitality management dean
• USA Today picks TAMS grad for academic team
• High traffic expected for races
• Historian presents new view of D-Day invasion
• UNT 2000-01 retirees
• Welch Foundation awards $705,000 to UNT researchers
• UNT Staff Council reps elected
• New Eagle Express ID cards are now available
• UNT study: Back alleys lower home values
• Faculty Senate elects officers

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