This Week at the Statehouse – Week 1
Governor Reynolds released her budget recommendations on Tuesday. The University of Northern Iowa is grateful for Governor Reynolds' support for an additional $4 million for our FY 2020 budget, as well as multi-year funding for the renovation and expansion of UNI's Industrial Technology Center (ITC). You can find all the details at this link.
This is just the first step; the Legislature is the branch of government that appropriates the dollars to state agencies. Here are details of the Governor’s budget recommendations that will affect UNI:
If the additional $4 million in state funding is approved by the Legislature and the Governor, we would not increase resident tuition next year, which would allow us to become more competitive with our peer institutions. This $4 million request corresponds with President Nook’s five-year conservative budget model so that tuition increases can be reasonable and predictable for Iowa families. UNI built a five-year budget model based on the university’s FY 2008 budget. UNI will manage a slow and steady enrollment increase, continue to look for cost savings and efficiencies, and keep our expenses at the Consumer Price Index of 1.75 percent. Though our budget anticipates an increase in out-of-state enrollment, UNI will not back away from the commitment to enroll at least the same percentage of Iowa high school graduates who attend the university.
ITC, originally built in 1974, needs critical improvements to the infrastructure and technology we use to prepare Iowa’s future industrial, manufacturing and construction workforce. The multi-year $38 million funding recommendation will be used to modernize and expand the ITC to serve the workforce needs of Iowa’s industry and to better prepare teachers to teach STEM and career and technical education disciplines.
The Governor is recommending a $1 million increase to STEM (UNI's math & science collaborative budget line-item). The STEM Advisory Board, established in 2011 and housed at UNI, has a mission to increase student interest and achievement in STEM. The Governor’s budget book notes that results have shown that students who participate in their scale-up programs score higher than their peers in math, science, and reading on the state assessment. The Council also promotes STEM teacher externships, which make it possible for teachers to work in businesses in the summer and incorporate lessons learned back into their classrooms.
The rest of UNI's line-item budget requests are recommended at the same level as FY 2019 (real estate at $125,302; recycling and reuse center at $175,256; economic development at $1,066,419 (she did not recommend our $400,000 increase for additive manufacturing): and the Regents Innovation Fund at $900,000 to UNI (the fund is at $3 million total for UI, ISU, and UNI).
Governor Reynold’s Future Ready Iowa initiative, a goal of 70% of Iowans with education or training beyond high school by the year 2025, includes a grant program that would allow our students to get financial aid. The Future Ready Iowa Grant is intended to encourage Iowans who left college with a bachelor’s degree in a high-demand field of study to return and complete their degree. Students at Iowa’s public and private four-year higher education institutions may qualify. Grant recipients will receive a stipend to help cover tuition. She is recommending $1 million in FY 2020 and $1.75 million in FY 2021.
We look forward to working with Gov. Reynolds and members of the Iowa Legislature during this year's session to continue our commitment to ensuring a reasonable, predictable cost of education for Iowa families, while also providing the high-quality education our students need to be successful professionals and leaders in Iowa's changing economy.
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET BOOK LANGUAGE
UNI's mission is to provide transformative learning experiences that inspire students to embrace challenge, engage in critical inquiry and creative thought, and contribute to society. The focus is educating Iowans who tend to stay in Iowa to work.
As the state's comprehensive university, UNI focuses on educating Iowans who tend to stay in Iowa to work and live. Of alumni who graduated in the last ten years, 75% have stayed in Iowa.
UNI's excellent programs in business, social and behavioral sciences, humanities, arts and natural sciences prepare students to work and contribute in every employment sector across Iowa and provide a meaningful contribution to the state. And while the core focus remains undergraduate education, UNI also provides strong graduate programs that continue to attract students in all stages of life. Recent data shows 92% of UNI graduates were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation.
UNI's FY 2020 higher education appropriation request of $99,712,362 includes a $4M increase and is based on a 0% tuition increase.
The funding increase is based on an analysis of how an equity adjustment and tuition differentiation would boost the university's goals. Strategic uses of these funds include financial aid, enrollment management, student engagement and success, and faculty/staff vitality.
STATEMENT FROM BOARD OF REGENTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARK BRAUN ON GOVERNOR’S BUDGET RECOMMENDATION
The Board of Regents sincerely appreciates Governor Reynolds’ support for the Regent enterprise with her FY2020 budget recommendation. The Governor’s budget supports many of the Board’s top initiatives.
In particular, we are extremely pleased that the Governor has recommended fully funding our universities’ general operating request of $18 million. With this level of funding, our universities can continue to provide the accessible, top-quality education that Iowa students deserve.
The Board and institutional leaders look forward to working with the Governor and members of the General Assembly during the legislative session to advocate for these recommendations.
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The Board of Regents also had their legislative breakfast this week with the nine board members, three university presidents, the superintendent of the two special schools, and student government leaders from the three universities. Here are photos of President Nook with some of the legislators he visited with.
If you have any questions, please email me at mary.braun@uni.edu.