Regents approve university’s 2005-07 budget request

SEATTLE — The Washington State University Board of Regents approved the university’s joint budget request with the University of Washington at the board’s regularly scheduled meeting Friday (Sept. 10).

In the request to the Washington State Legislature, the state’s two research universities join forces to seek more competitive per-student funding, increased support for rising enrollment and $7.1 million over the 2005-2007 biennium to support a new program to encourage university-based research and move it more quickly into the private sector.

“I believe this joint budget request sends a strong message about the difficult issues facing our research universities and our unified resolve to help find solutions,” said WSU President V. Lane Rawlins. “By investing in higher education and research, the state can move toward a more prosperous economic future. But now is the time we must take advantage of this opportunity.”

In the request, the universities ask the state to commit to providing per-student funding to cover at least half of the cost of instruction for resident undergraduate students and to bring WSU and UW up to the 75^th percentile in funding when compared with peer institutions nationally.

State per-student funding for WSU has fallen 18 percent since 1993, when adjusted for inflation. In state appropriations per full-time-equivalent student, WSU now ranks about $1,200 below the average of its peer institutions.

WSU budget officials estimate the university would need $201.2 million in state funding for the 2005-2006 fiscal year and $202.8 million for the 2006-2007 fiscal year to maintain its current programs. Comparable state allocation figures for the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 fiscal years were $185.3 million and $190.3 million, respectively.

In its budget request, the university will ask for an additional $51 million in core funding over the biennium, an additional $15 million to fund new enrollments and $2 million for veterinary medicine to replace students and funding lost when Oregon State University started its independent veterinary medicine program.

As part of the research and technology transfer plan backed by WSU and UW, Washington State University would create interdisciplinary research teams in biomedical genomics sciences, health-related bioproducts, infectious diseases and pests, and healthy sustainable food systems.

The program would help create new research and would coordinate UW TechTransfer and WSU Office of Research activities to enhance the transfer of university-based research discoveries to benefit the state’s economy.