To close the financial gap between the University and similar public universities, the UW is asking for $806.7 million in state funds for its 1991-93 budget. The proposal would require a 32.1 percent increase over current state funding.
Since the mid-1980s, the UW has made good progress in state funding when compared to peer universities, says Provost Laurel Wilkening, “but we’ve got a long way to go.” In 1985, the state budget put the UW in the bottom third of 25 similar research universities with medical schools. Currently it ranks about in the middle of that group. If the legislature and the governor approve the UW request, the University would jump to about the 70th percentile among these 25 public universities.
The state Higher Education Coordinating (HEC) Board has stated its primary goal is funding all Washington state institutions at the 75th percentile of their respective peers by 1995-97.
The budget increase would help the UW meet the following goals:
Though the state has granted significant faculty salary increases in recent years, the average pay still lags 11.2 percent behind the goal—reaching the 75th percentile of salaries at peer institutions. “Over the past four years, with the leadership of the HEC Board, the governor and the state legislature, we have made progress in reducing the wide faculty salary gap that existed between us and our peer institutions. Additional progress needs to be made and achieving competitive salary levels remains our highest priority,” says President William P. Gerberding.
“In order to continue to provide excellent educational programs for the citizens of the state into the next century, the University of Washington also requires additional support for faculty recruitment, improvements in undergraduate education, and improved access and achievement in instructional programs by minorities,” the President says.
The budget request includes $5.1 million for faculty recruitment; $36 million for instructional support and $19.6 million for new or expanded academic programs.
On the capital side of the ledger, the University is seeking $376.2 million, which would finance $160.8 million in repairs and renovations of existing facilities, including a new power plant boiler, and $215.4 million in new construction.
Capital proposals include $64.8 million for construction of a new physics/astronomy building located at the corner of 15th Avenue N.E. and N.E. Pacific Avenue. Another project is a $93.5-million computer science/electrical engineering building on the site of the current Electrical Engineering Building. The proposal also includes new facilities for fisheries, earth sciences, social work and the law library, plus improvements to the Montlake Boulevard intersection.
The UW is also proposing a $29.2 million branch campus operating budget. The new funding would expand undergraduate and graduate enrollment levels at both the Tacoma and Bothell sites.
UW Government Relations Director Bob Edie says the 1991 legislative session, which begins Jan. 14, will be the most complex since the early 1980s. The September revenue forecast for 1991-93 was down $118 million from the June forecast, the first downturn in the last few years. This downturn in revenue, coupled with continued demands on state services and cost increases, will make the next session of the legislature a difficult one, says Edie.
In times of tight money, he adds, there is often a conflict between increasing access to higher education and improving the quality of state institutions. “Some legislators and community groups advocate putting every extra dollar into increasing access. Others, including the UW and the HEC Board, argue that quality funding is still the number one priority.
“While the University supports some enrollment increases, particularly at the branch campuses, an appropriate balance must be achieved between access and quality funding. We don’t want to lose the momentum from previous years,” Edie says.