Regents approve 2004 budget, 2 percent raise pool for faculty, staff

During this year's regular summer meeting of the UNT System Board of Regents on Aug. 21, the regents approved the FY 2004 budget for the university, increased tuition and two student fees and authorized Regents Professorships for seven faculty members.

The regents approved a $473.4 million university budget that includes a modest increase in its 2003-04 educational and general funds. The increase allows for a 2 percent average salary increase pool for faculty and staff effective Jan. 1, 2004. Whether the $1.4 million in funds will be distributed across the board or based on merit will be determined at a later date. The increase comes primarily from $4 million received due to a 10 percent enrollment growth and reallocations of internal reductions. Even though the state cut formula funding, UNT's 10 percent enrollment growth allowed for a modified increase in the funding provided by the state last year. This year's increase would have been $17 million without the change in formula funding.

The regents also implemented a $7-per-semester-credit-hour increase in board-designated tuition; raised the library use fee from $10 to $16.50 per semester credit hour; eliminated a schedule change fee of $5 per day for online transactions but increased the per-semester student records fee from $5.50 to $20; and established a $65 international student fee. All the increases become effective for the Spring 2004 semester.

The board also approved Regents Professor awards for Gene Cho, music; Sigrid Glenn, behavior analysis; Donald Little, music; Jerry Nash, foreign languages and literatures; Elmer Taylor, visual arts; Lewis Taylor, management; and Jerry Wircenski, technology and cognition.

Among other actions, the regents:

• Officially appointed Howard C. Johnson to the post of provost and vice president for academic affairs. Johnson now holds the rank of professor with tenure in the Department of Mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences.
  
  
• Voted to use approximately $3.7 million in university reserves to initiate construction of the shell of a new athletic center at the Eagle Point Campus, pending Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approval, and approved the use of a matching amount in additional Higher Education Assistance Fund monies, rather than reserves, to pay for major Enterprise Information System (computer system) upgrades. The move is designed to cut costs by allowing construction on the athletic center to happen at the same time as construction on the residence hall and dining hall at the Eagle Point Campus.
  
  
• Approved two new degree programs: a doctorate in philosophy created in collaboration with the University of Texas at Arlington and a master of fine arts degree in radio, television and film, pending Coordinating Board approval.
  
  
• Approved changes to the UNT Policy Manual, including the creation of the Star Performance Awards. This new award and incentive program offers administrative leave with pay to selected outstanding staff.
  
  
• Granted tenure to new faculty appointees Michael H. Drought, professor and associate dean for academic and student affairs in the School of Visual Arts, and to Jeff Goodwin, associate professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation.
  
  
• Authorized an honorary degree for His Majesty, the King Bhumipol Adulyadej of Thailand, an acclaimed composer whose music is performed throughout the world. The degree will be conferred by a UNT delegation that will travel to Thiland on either the occasion of President Bush's state visit in October or on the King's 76^th birthday in December.
  
  
• Authorized naming the road adjacent to Santa Fe Square and Traditions Hall, running from North Texas Boulevard to the University Services Building, Allan Saxe Drive. Regents also approved naming the new lounge inside the Student Recreation Center Pointe Bank Lounge.

BY RUFUS COLEMAN rcoleman@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT announces tuition task force, seeks to create guaranteed tuition rates
• UNT to petition Texas Education Agency for virtual charter school authority
• UNT offices moving to, from and within the Hurley Administration Building
• UNT Observatory to provide up-close view of Mars
• New Fouts Field scoreboard, videoboard to be finished in time for first home game
• Agreement links UNT, Ukranian university
• Faculty members honored at annual convocation
• Dance, theatre arts tickets on sale soon

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