Revised budget funds more undergraduate programs

The Board of Regents passed an operating budget Friday with more money going toward undergraduate programs than originally planned.

The money comes from the $14 million the University gained from enrolling more students than it could accommodate, according to acting Provost David Thorud. Of that sum, $10 million will go toward several one-time expenditures for the 2004 fiscal year, which started this month.

The budget allocates $700,000 of the over-enrollment money for initiatives to improve undergraduate advising. Proposed initiatives include trial programs to improve advising for transfer students and for undeclared premajors, to develop online advising tutorials and to improve advising information systems. The regents also earmarked $200,000 to add sections to certain "bottleneck" courses that can prevent undergraduates from making progress in their major.

A straw budget the regents reviewed last month did not fund those expenses. Funding for additional equipment decreased from $4 million to $3.5 million, and classroom technology funding fell from $2 million to $1.6 million in order to pay for the new allocations.

"I hope that we can be sure in the future ... that we make sure that [students] have the appropriate advising," student Regent David Moore-Reeploeg said.

He added that he would like to see more money going toward the Office of Minority Affairs' Instructional Center, noting that the tutoring and advising center has become more popular with students. The center was originally founded for minority and low-income students, but is open to all students.

"We've identified that as our number-one priority, but we've got to be putting our money where our mouth is," said Regent Constance Proctor, who chairs the board's Academic and Student Affairs Committee.

Proctor said the Hispanic and Black Bar Associations have discouraged students from attending the UW because the School of Law has not had a Hispanic professor for about 15 years.

Other regents disagreed with Proctor's claim about the board's highest commitment. Regent Sally Jewell said she thought the quality of education was the highest priority, and Regent Shelly Yapp said she thought the highest budgeting priority was faculty salaries.

Members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 925, which represents classified employees on campus, spoke to the regents in a last-ditch and failed attempt to receive a salary increase.

"We believe that this is not impossible and not illegal," said Michael Laslett, director of higher education for the local.

While some faculty received a 2 percent salary increase, classified staff received no increases in the budget. The University's position was that it is not possible for the UW to provide general salary increases without state authorization.

"It is really unfortunate the Legislature did not approve an increase for classified staff," said Executive Vice President Weldon Ihrig. "Really, the place to address these concerns is at the bargaining table next year" when the contract between the union and the University expires.

Ihrig said classified staff received salary increases of more than 2 percent last year and will likely receive an increase this year.