Higher Education



				Utah System of Higher Education Growth in Funding The Legislature increased State funding by 5.4 percent by adding $24,122,000 to the base. The total appropriation of all funds is $635,321,900 and State funds total $469,936,800. Changes to the Base In the previous session the Legislature used $8,526,100 in one-time money to fund ongoing programs. Those funds were replaced at the Legislature's direction with ongoing funds. This was done before the General Session started and was not counted as an increase in State funding. Required Efficiencies The Legislature requires $635,700 in efficiencies in faculty workload and vacancies, reducing duplication in branch campuses, and reduced growth in motor pool fleets. Allocations are shown in the following chart.

						Vacancies/ Workload									Branch Campuses
		Institution																					Auto Fleet
																																		Total


		University of Utah				($114,500)																												($114,500)


		Utah State University									(65,800)																									(101,900)
																							($36,100)



		Weber State University									(48,600)																										(48,600)


		Southern Utah University									(22,800)																										(28,700)
																											(5,900)



		Snow College																																				(7,400)
																											(7,400)

		Dixie College																																				(5,200)
																											(5,200)

		College of Eastern Utah

		Utah Valley State College									(27,300)																										(43,400)
																								(16,100)



		Salt Lake Community College									(36,000)																										(36,000)


Board of Regents																(250,000)																			(250,000)

						($315,000)									($250,000)									($70,700)										($635,700)
		Total


				The Board of Regents will allocate the ($250,000) for branch campus duplications after studying the problem. Legislative Additions to Higher Education's Budgets

				The Legislature added $3,100,000 to improve higher education libraries. These funds will be divided to the schools by the Regents in consultation with the Utah Academic Library Council.

				The Legislature added $200,000 to AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) budgets. This will finance a new center in Southwestern Utah. Last General Session (1996) AHEC was funded from Higher Education and Health. Before the General Session started, AHEC budgets were consolidated into Higher Education. The Legislature increased Risk Management funding by $1,554,000. The Legislature increased funding for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) programming by $234,000. The Legislature added $1,100,000 for the operation and maintenance of new facilities. The Legislature added $200,000 for utility and rate changes.

			Institution						Risk Mgmt.								ADA Prog.									Oper. and Maint.						Utility and Rate Chg.


		University of Utah						$827,000
																			$42,200							$431,900										$15,000


		Utah State University								318,100
																				27,900								221,600									36,000



		Weber State University								112,100
																				16,800



		Southern Utah University										53,100
																					5,300							117,100



		Snow College										26,000
																					2,900							118,300										7,500


		Dixie College										27,300
																					4,300								45,200								34,400


		College of Eastern Utah										24,300
																					9,200							124,700									29,200



		Utah Valley State College										77,700
																				46,100																	77,900



		Salt Lake Community College										74,900
																				80,100									41,200



		Board of Regents
												13,500


		Total			$1,554,000													$234,800							$1,100,000								$200,000

				The Legislature increased funding for the ATE SOAR program by $80,000 ($50,000 through House Bill 1, "Appropriations Act 1997 General Session," and $30,000 through Senate Bill 247, "Supplemental Appropriations Act II, 1997 General Session,"). The SOAR program is an advertising campaign promoting applied technology education in public and higher education. Mineral Lease revenue is expected to increase by $200,800 with $11,300 going to Utah State's Water Lab and the remaining $189,500 going to the Board of Regents for allocation. The Legislature replaced $1,409,000 in Mineral Lease funding with General Fund. This is the second of 5 designated transfers that replace Mineral Lease funds with General Fund. The Legislature reduced funding by $59,000 for Southern Utah University's unsuccessful lease of the Cedar City Post Office property. The Legislature replaced $235,000 in lost funding for the College of Eastern Utah's Star School System. The Star School System is a distance education network going from the Price campus to locations in Southeastern Utah. The network was built with federal funds. The Legislature appropriated $2,500,000 in one-time funds for the system wide semester conversion. Distribution is $837,100 to the University of Utah, $535,700 to Utah State, $343,900 to Weber State, $158,000 to Southern Utah University, $80,500 to Snow College, $103,400 to Dixie College, $73,800 to the College of Eastern Utah, $24,000 to Utah Valley State College, $334,000 to Salt Lake Community College, and $9,600 to the Board of Regents. The Legislature added $515,000 for ongoing technology needs. The Legislature fully funded enrollment growth and only took a portion of enrollment decreases. The model selected by the Legislature (for 1997 Session only) uses a short lag to estimate enrollment changes. Enrollment growth is fully funded. Down turns in enrollment get a 2 percent of total (not just the downturn) cushion when enrollment targets are not met and then only half of that amount is taken from institution budgets. Higher Education funding will be the subject of a major study during the interim The net is a $398,400 State funds increase. As enrollments change, tuitions naturally follow. The table below shows the General Fund changes in enrollment funding during the 1997 session. Funding for the Board of Regents is to help pay for the interim study.

		Institution					FTE Increases							General Fund Increases											FTE Decreases						General Fund Decreases



		University of Utah																				(330)								($897,800)


		Utah State University					120						$441,000


		Weber State University																				(642)								(972,400)


		Southern Utah University					194						405,100


		Snow College																				(13)								(17,600)

		Dixie College					136						100,800

		College of Eastern Utah																				(29)								(33,700)


		Utah Valley State College					556						1,125,000


		Salt Lake Community College					159						226,300


		Board of Regents					N/A						21,700

				The Legislature appropriated $1,500,000 for a satellite uplink facility through the Utah Education Network (UEN) that will serve the Western Governor's University and replace USU's COMNET system. This provides ongoing funding for four digital channels that can be beamed down to any receiver in Utah or anywhere in the United States. The relatively inexpensive receiving dishes and related equipment are not included in this funding. The Legislature expects that satellite scheduling will be controlled by the Utah Education Network (UEN) so that all institutions and types of programming are considered. The Legislature appropriated $440,000 for institutional priorities as follows: $140,000 for 4-H programs through USU Extension, $40,000 to Snow College for apprenticeship programs, $55,000 to Dixie College for a Plant/Planning Director, $45,000 to the College of Eastern Utah for a Math professor, $95,000 to Utah Valley State College for their HELP Program, and $65,000 to Salt Lake Community College for the conversion of part-time to full-time faculty. The Legislature funded a 3 percent salary package with $9,975,800 in State funds. It is the Legislature's policy to fund benefit rate adjustments before paying for a cost of living adjustment (See House Bill 1, "Appropriations Act," item 111, ). For state employees, after paying for benefit rate adjustments, this amounts to a 2.67 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). It is also the Legislature's policy to fund the salary package in the same proportions as current funding. For example, if a program were funded 90 percent from federal funds and 10 percent from State funds, the salary package would only get State funding for 10 percent of the total cost. In the case of Higher Education tuition accounts for about 25 percent of the salary package. The Legislature gives the Board of Regents freedom to decide how to raise tuition's share of the cost of the salary package. For example, a tuition increase of 2.3 percent is sufficient to pay tuition's share of a 3 percent salary increase. Since the 1997 General Session ended, the Board of Regents raised tuition 3.8 percent. Bills with Fiscal Impact

				Senate Bill 162, "Appropriation for Statewide Integration of Engineering Education," appropriates $500,000 in one-time funding. The distribution is $140,000 to the University of Utah, $95,000 to Utah State University, $65,000 to Weber State University, $50,000 to Utah Valley State College, $50,000 to Salt Lake Community College, $25,000 to Southern Utah University, $25,000 to Snow College, $25,000 to Dixie College, and $25,000 to the College of Eastern Utah. House Bill 181, "Reduction and Summarization of Annual Reports," cuts appropriations to the Board of Regents by $2,500. Senate Bill 247, "Supplemental Appropriations Act II," appropriates $50,000 to the University of Utah's Occupational Therapy Program. Senate Bill 201, "Appropriation for Biotech Program at Utah State University," appropriates $250,000. House Bill 270, "State Museum of Natural History Outreach Programs," appropriates $100,000 to the University of Utah. Senate Bill 24, "Appropriation for Forestry Extension Services," sends $102,200 to Utah State University. House Bill 76, "Utah Botanical Center Appropriation," sends $250,000 in one-time funding to Utah State University. House Bill 361, "Appropriation for Utah State University Pasture and Forage Initiative," sends $125,000 in one-time funds. House Bill 16, "Utah Summer Games Appropriation," sends $50,000 to Southern Utah University.

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