September 7, 2001 UNT Inhouse publication: UNT approves $344.17 million operating budget for 2001-02

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UNT approves $344.17 million operating budget for 2001-02

The UNT System Board of Regents approved a university operating budget of $344.17 million for the 2001-02 academic year at its meeting Aug. 17. The budget takes effect this month.

According to Phil Diebel, UNT System vice chancellor for finance and UNT vice president for finance and business affairs, the budget includes approximately $8.8 million in new spending to address "budgeting themes" set by UNT President Norval Pohl.

Faculty and staff pay raises and promotions are the top priorities for UNT's increased spending in 2001-02.

Almost half of the monies designated for increases will be used to boost salaries, Diebel says. Setting a goal to come as close as possible to Pohl's 50 percent target allocation of new spending for salaries, UNT budgeters allocated 49.5 percent of the 2001-02 budget increase total for salary enhancements. Dollar sign

More than $2 million will fund faculty merit increases.

Another $1.9 million, of which half was funded by the Texas Legislature, will be used to cover mandated, non-merit pay raises for staff at 4 percent (with a minimum of $100 per month). All of UNT's non-faculty employees who have been with the university since Sept. 1, 2000, are eligible. Phased eligibility will be provided to others on Sept. 1, 2002, and March 1, 2003.

In addition to salaries, other ongoing budgeting themes Pohl designated for increased funding are research; administrative web-based systems; distributed learning; diversity; enrollment and formula funding initiatives; college, department and program support; and intercollegiate athletics.

For 2001-02, UNT has designated $814,501 (9.27 percent of the budget increase) for research. This funding will provide support for a new Welch Foundation endowed chair in the chemistry department in the College of Arts and Sciences. It will also fund four new research faculty members in arts and sciences, a new research faculty member in the School of Community Service, a new research initiative funding for the vice provost and $100,000 in doctoral scholarships.

The distributed learning budget increase of $96,072 will cover new programs and additional staff costs.

An allocation of $387,579 will fund UNT's Diversity Faculty Reserve as well as fund diversity scholar lectureships and create a new staff position in the UNT Office of Equity and Diversity.

The $650,585 designated for enrollment and formula funding initiatives will add nearly $300,000 to undergraduate scholarship funding, devote $250,000 to funding for enrollment incentives and support admissions, international admissions and honors program initiatives and staffing needs.

UNT's budget increases also include more than $1.8 million for college, department and program support.

And $380,844 will go to support new initiatives in the area of intercollegiate athletics.

In all, $1.8 million from all budgeting theme areas will cover salaries and other costs for 14 new faculty positions and 31 new staff positions.

In other university-related actions, the regents:

Approved a proposal to raise board-designated tuition from $40 to $42 beginning in the Spring 2002 semester. Diebel says the increase will help the university fund this year's faculty and staff pay raises and meet other budget initiatives.
Increased the $25 medical services fee (in place since Sept. 1, 1997) to $30, beginning in the Spring 2002 semester.

Finally, the regents approved a separate $4.02 million budget for the new UNT System.