$1.1 billion OUS budget approved by State Board

The State Board of Higher Education approved the Oregon University System’s proposed $1.1 billion operating and capital budget for 2009-11 last Friday, July 11. The budget calls for the state to increase funding to higher education by 27 percent.

The State Board of Higher Education approved the Oregon University System’s proposed $1.1 billion operating and capital budget for 2009-11 last Friday, July 11.

The budget calls for the state to increase funding to higher education by 27 percent.

The increase takes into account the cost of tuition at Oregon universities. OUS intends to prevent tuition increases from passing a point set at the state’s estimated average family income for 2009 through 2011.

Di Saunders, director of communications for OUS, said, “The proposal from the board is to keep tuition increases at or below the increase in median family income for those years [2009-11], which right now is estimated at 3.6 percent.”

Many state university’s presidents will receive salary raises, according to The Oregonian.

Dave Frohnmayer, University of Oregon president, will receive the highest pay with a 5 percent jump to $444,960. Oregon State University President Ed Ray will also receive a 5 percent increase to $425,700. PSU’s new president, Wim Wiewel, will receive begin his position with a salary of $350,000.

Within the budget is a consideration for Oregon’s university faculty. If the increased funds are approved it is possible that faculties salaries could get raised.

“There is money requested in this budget to increase faculty salaries to get them closer to the average of their peer institutions,” Saunders said. “Historically we have lower than average salaries across the system within Oregon, and every biennium we do ask for increases in faculty salaries, but we don’t generally get all of what we ask for.”

Now that the board has approved the operating and capital budgets that OUS presented on Friday, it will continue on to Governor Ted Kulongoski’s office, as well as the Legislative Fiscal Office. The budget must be approved by the state legislature in the 2009 legislative session to become official.

The budget includes a request for $90 million that will go toward constructing a new School of Business Administration building at PSU.

“It will be on the corner of Market and Park,” said Scott Dawson, dean of the School of Business Administration. “We need twice as much space as we have. We also need a very different kind of space.”

Dawson commented that the new building will include many smaller rooms that the current building does not have. These smaller rooms will make space for class teams to meet and provide extra workspace.

Also within the capital construction budget presentation was a request for $250 million for the South Waterfront Life Sciences Facility. That building would be built in Portland and would be open to multiple Oregon universities, including PSU.