PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University will aim for new enrollment
targets and receive funding for essential projects under the Legislature’s
supplementary budget. The enrollment targets provide funding for modest
growth at each of the WSU campuses.
Enrollment growth targets and related funding at WSU Pullman, Spokane and
Vancouver have been reduced from levels approved by the 1999 Legislature.
These new levels will still provide more funding than the previous budget, with
smaller enrollment increases at each campus.
WSU proposed the growth reduction early in the legislative session. “The
lawmakers recognized WSU’ s willingness to reduce targets and rejected
provisos that would have cut budgets further if enrollment was below target
by even a single student,” said WSU President Sam Smith.
Under the new budget, the Pullman campus is funded for a target enrollment of
17,549 full time equivalent students; Spokane has a target of 551 FTE; and
Vancouver has a target of 1,071 FTE.
At WSU Tri-Cities, the budget will lower target enrollment from 754 to 616 FTE
without a reduction in funding. This adjustment makes funding consistent with
other branch campuses and allows for future growth.
The Pullman campus will receive $3.6 million for emergency repairs to the
university power plant. The funding will be used to replace an aging boiler
system.
In Spokane, the budget includes an allocation of $450,000 to partially fund the
Health Sciences Initiative. The initiative will enable WSU to conduct cancer
research and biotechnology programs in Spokane.
The Legislature also allocated $380,000 to cover an increase in employee fringe
benefit rates.
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