For Release June 24
Regents Discuss FY 99' Budget Priorities and New Cooperative Program
ABERDEEN, SD-Meeting today on the campus of Northern State University, the Board of Regents discussed priorities for the FY99 budget request, as well as heard a proposal for a new inter-institutional cooperative program in German.
The Regents' Committee on Budget and Finance tentatively approved six priorities for the FY99 budget. They are 1) instructional formula funding; 2) salary equity for faculty and exempt employees; 3) technology infrastructure; 4) maintenance and repair for the Special Schools and the Agricultural Experiment Station and the universities; 5) Special Schools base funding; and 6) capital improvements for the Engineering & Technology for a New Millennium project and the Sioux Falls Center for Public Higher Education. Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Regent James Hart said that, "Like in recent requests, for FY99 the Regents are committed to maintaining our current infrastructures in instruction, salary equity for faculty and administrative staff, technology, and facilities".
Executive Director Robert T. Tad Perry explained, "These are all important priorities for the state to address. For example, over the last seven years the legislature has treated Regental faculty and non-faculty exempt employees differently than most of the other exempt state employees". Perry referring to the 2.5% below mid-point salary adjustments available to most exempt state employees except those in the Regental system. He continued, "Where general state employees have moved from being 22% behind the market in FY90 to just over 7% below the market in FY96, our exempt employees have not had the benefit of below mid-point adjustments like other state employees. Regental faculty continue to trail the market by 17%. This fact is not helping our efforts to recruit and retain top quality faculty and staff to serve the educational needs of South Dakotans".
Also identified among the budget priorities, are investments in technology, including smart classrooms, computer equipment and training; an inflationary adjustment to the special school base funds similar to what the legislature provides for the public K-12; and two capital improvement projects. "The capital improvement projects will address existing needs to better serve South Dakota," said Regents President David R. Gienapp of Madison. He continued, "There seems to be general agreement that a need for public higher education services exists in Sioux Falls, the unresolved issue for the Sioux Falls Center is how to fund it. This need has not gone away and the Regents are dedicated to finding an appropriate solution to meet the needs of area non-traditional students to whom we are committed".
A new capital improvement priority, is the Engineering & Technology for a New Millennium project that will address engineering and technology facility needs at South Dakota State University and the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. Hart said, "This is a renovation project to bring our engineering and technology facilities up to 21st Century standards in order to meet the needs of South Dakota's business and industrial community. For the next Century we must meet challenges to make investments in appropriate instructional space and new equipment for laboratories".
Perry explained that these are tentative priorities for FY99 representing a 4.7% base increase from the FY98 budget and that, "The Regents will continue their review and finalize their budget priorities at the August meeting".
Also today, Regents approved a cooperative program in German between Northern State University, South Dakota State University, and the University of South Dakota. The cooperative venture is similar to a cooperative program in French approved in March. All of the universities will provide the lower division or introductory courses, while upper divisions courses will be delivered via distance technology using shared faculty. Gienapp said, "German language and culture is an important part of South Dakota's heritage and it is especially pleasing to have the universities cooperating to provide a superior educational product."
The Board of Regents continues meeting tomorrow 25 June 1997. Among other things, they will discuss articulation with the technical institutes and Reinvestment Through Efficiencies spending plans.