While many universities nationally have been running on empty, the state of Washington has refueled its public universities over the last six years. Now the fuel gauge is dropping toward “E” as the state faces a shortfall in its 1993-95 revenue, perhaps in the range of $800-$900 million.
When the legislature meets next month, UW officials will ask Olympia for enough funds to keep the University’s motor running—and to add some high octane dollars to strengthen the UW’s number one priority: undergraduate education.
Over the last six years, says UW Government Relations Director Bob Edie, there has been progress in state funding for the UW. Once faculty salaries were, on average, nearly 15 percent behind the UW’s national peers. Now we are about 6.9 percent behind. In 1985, perstudent state funding put the UW at the bottom third of its peers. Now the UW is at the 51st percentile, closer to its goal of reaching the 75th percentile by 1997.
“We need to protect and consolidate our gains. It would be tragic to cut back now after all the legislature has invested,” he says.
For its 1993-95 budget, the UW is asking for $793.9 million in operating funds, including salary increases, which is about a 21 percent increase over the current $655.7 million in state appropriations.
The top priority for any new money is undergraduate education improvements. The UW is asking for $13.8 million to complete its undergraduate initiative, which has already reduced class size and offered more courses, thanks to previous state funding boosts.
“Our faculty responded creatively to the opportunity in 1989-91 to improve the classes most often taken by freshmen,” explains UW Provost Laurel Wilkening. “Student responses to writing centers, the math tutoring centers and smaller classes has been very positive. Recent surveys show they want more, especially more writing in all fields of study, and we would like to be able to provide that for them.”
Other priorities include achieving competitive salaries for both faculty and staff; increasing access to professional programs in health sciences, graduate programs and evening degree programs; and strengthening health care benefits for TAs and RAs.
The UW’s top priority in its capital budget is funding a $92-million computer science/electrical engineering building. Other projects in the UW’s $312-million capital budget request include matching funds for a business administration executive center between Denny and Balmer halls, renovation of the old Physics Building, and other renovation and safety programs.
The UW branch campuses are asking for about $14 million each to strengthen their offerings and launch new degree programs.
Both branches are also requesting about $39 million to begin building their permanent campuses. UW-Tacoma will be located in the historic warehouse district just west of Union Station. UW-Bothell construction would begin at its site southeast of the intersection of highways 522 and 9, on the old Wellington Hills Golf Course.