Pohl talks to Faculty Senate about budget

UNT President Norval Pohl addressed the Faculty Senate Feb. 12 regarding cuts to the university's 2002-03 fiscal year budget and the forecast for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 fiscal years.

Pohl explained that Gov. Rick Perry's directive to reduce the "general revenue" portion of the budget by 7 percent caused the university to give back to the state approximately $6.6 million. Pohl outlined the following measures that were taken to cut the budget: institution of a hiring freeze on Jan. 28; planned reductions in utilities, maintenance and operations budgets; reduced funding for the university's student enrollment marketing campaign; and forfeiture of additional tuition revenue due to the university's enrollment growth since the last formula funding cycle. In addition, Pohl said, the university will forgo certain construction projects and land procurements.

Pohl broke down the almost $6.6 million UNT has targeted to eliminate from the remainder of the 2002-03 budget. He said $1.5 million will come from reductions in administrative costs — including $450,000 in savings from the staff hiring freeze, $500,000 through utilities management and $635,000 in general reductions in maintenance and operations; $280,000 from enrollment and student recruitment funds earmarked for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Closing the Gaps campaign; $900,000 in tuition revenue realized because of growth in enrollments above budget; $2.9 million from a reduction in capital expenditures; and $911,104 from a reduction in educational services. He said summer classes will likely be the most affected by this last reduction, as the university re-evaluates the standards used to determine the minimum summer class size.

He said, though the possibility was discussed, the university will probably not use a four-day work week this summer because the expense reduction would only be $140,000, an amount not worth the disruption the change would cause.

Pohl said State Comptroller Carole Keeton-Strayhorn forecasts $54.1 billion in state tax and fee revenues for the 2004-05 biennium, and UNT's proportionate share of that amount will be $166.96 million — $23.85 million less than the adjusted general revenue amount for fiscal years 2002 and 2003.

Pohl indicated that Keeton-Strayhorn's suggestions for savings and additional revenue include allowing colleges and universities to charge higher rates for out-of-state tuition; and allowing universities that conduct sponsored research projects to keep 100 percent of the indirect cost recovery funds they receive.

Pohl also summed up recommendations made by the coordinating board, including an increase in graduate tuition; setting tuition so it is tied to a student's anticipated job market; and using tuition as an enrollment management tool by creating block tuition — priced per semester rather than semester hour — reduced tuition for off-hour classes and reduced tuition for technology-delivered courses.

In his summation, Pohl predicted that out-of-state tuition waivers will be greatly reduced, that boards of regents will be authorized to set individual universities' tuition rates and that tuition will be raised to offset the loss of state dollars.

BY MICHELLE HALE mhale@unt.edu

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• Promoting a safe spring break
• Regents assess new parking rates for 2003-04 school year
• North Texas Jazz Festival set April 4-6 in Addison
• The First Great UNT Cleanup
• How the HIPAA privacy rule affects UNT researchers
• University, Honors, Alumni days in April
• Chicago will be talk of town at Academy Awards, film historian says
• Changes coming to UNT faculty election process

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