legislature

March 1, 2005

Budget hopes high

Lawmakers and higher education officials are watching for two important milestones as the state Legislature meets in Olympia for its 2005 session — the latest review forecast, due March 17, and the new budget proposal from Gov. Christine Gregoire, ’69, ’71, due shortly afterwards.

June 1, 2004

Boost from Olympia

Hailing the recent legislative session as “remarkably successful,” UW President Lee Huntsman told the regents March 19 that the UW saw progress on several budget issues.

March 1, 2004

Hot-button issues

To the surprise of many longtime Olympia observers, higher education has been a hot topic during the 2004 legislative session. As lawmakers work toward a March 11 adjournment, they are debating bills on new enrollments, performance contracts and other issues.

September 1, 2003

State funding drops

Faced with a $2.65 billion deficit in its 2003-05 budget, the state Legislature passed a plan in June that includes a $47 million cut for the UW, no new enrollments and a 7 percent hike for in-state undergraduate tuition.

June 1, 2003

Gift and grumbling

When the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it was giving a record $70 million to the University of Washington to further genetic research, everyone on the campus was ecstatic. But on the second floor of Gerberding Hall there was one senior official who felt that his job just got a little harder.

Budget cuts coming

The UW can expect a cut in the amount of money coming from the state to support its teaching mission, but as Columns went to press in mid-May, the exact amount was still undecided.

March 1, 2003

Dire budget forecast

March may be the cruelest month of all in the state budget process, warn UW officials as they prepare for new proposals likely to contain dramatic cuts.

Our crumbling campus

They may look good from the outside, but many campus buildings are slowly crumbling away. Will the state rescue its most valuable piece of property?

December 1, 2002

Funding battle

As the state of Washington faces a $2 billion revenue shortfall, a battle is looming over support for higher education.

September 1, 2002

Paying the price

With state support dropping, the UW is looking for a way out of the financial maze, but could these new pathways alter the character of the university?

June 1, 2002

'Painful' cuts coming

Facing a $24.6 million loss of state revenue, the University of Washington regents voted May 17 to raise undergraduate tuition by 16 percent and impose a budget cut across academic and administrative units of about 2.5 percent.

March 1, 2002

Tuition change

The University of Washington could face an $18 million cut in state funding for 2002-03, but part of the damage might be offset by rising tuition, especially if the Board of Regents is allowed to set rates for all students.

September 1, 2001

Budget deficit

The University of Washington is facing a “significant budget deficit” of $25 million, says its chief budget officer, despite raising tuition to its maximum level for undergraduates.

March 1, 2001

Tough budget

Lawmakers are writing a 2001-03 budget that could severely impact enrollment, tuition, faculty salaries and other issues crucial to the University of Washington.

December 1, 2000

Budget crossroads

Since the core funding for the UW comes from the state, decisions made in Olympia will have a long-lasting impact.

June 1, 1999

Salary boost

The University of Washington may find fewer professors leaving for higher paid positions elsewhere as a result of a new state budget passed April 25.

March 1, 1999

Tuition on the rise

Undergraduate tuition could rise from 10 to 24 percent in the next two years under several proposals currently under debate in the Washington State Legislature.

December 1, 1998

Brain drain

Some top UW professors are leaving, and more will follow if nothing is done about the faculty pay gap.

June 1, 1998

Less room for students

While higher education saw some advances in the last legislative session, UW officials also saw signs that access to a college education may be shrinking.

March 1, 1998

Endowment plan

The Washington State Legislature is currently considering a proposal to establish a $500 million public-private partnership to enhance the quality of higher education in Washington.