Cover stories

KU prepares for Legislature

University officials will lobby for more funding, freedom

When the Kansas Legislature reconvenes Jan. 10, KU will be there — working in cooperation with other universities for increased funding and greater freedom for the state’s public higher education system.

This fall, the Board of Regents submitted its budget request for consideration by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Given the uncertain budget situation in Kansas — and other, competing demands — adoption of the entire request is not likely. Nonetheless, the regents’ proposals do reflect their advocacy on behalf of the state’s universities, including:

• 6 percent operating grant increase, allocated uniformly to all universities, plus a 1 percent increase for funding equity issues (including $2 million additional for the KU Medical Center)

• Full funding of the statutory formulas contained in SB 345, including $27.7 million for state university faculty salary enhancement and $13.7 million for 2 percent performance grants

• $17.5 million in one-time appropriations to fund an unusual 27th payroll that will occur in FY2006, a result of the state’s conversion to biweekly paychecks several years ago

• $1.8 million increase in state student financial assistance programs

• $961,000 to service new buildings that come on-line, with three-fourths of that funding going to KU

The regents also endorsed other legislative initiatives at their November meeting, including:

• Seeking a solution to the $584 million deferred maintenance backlog that currently afflicts KU ($237.3 million of that total) and all other regents universities

• Seeking statutory changes that would permit the six regents universities — instead of the state — to receive interest earned on tuition and fees paid by students, an annual amount of about $1.9 million

• Seeking authorization to create a new category of unclassified employees — University Support Staff (USS) — that would permit KU to improve the compensation of its classified staff as well as its management flexibility. KU has championed the USS proposal, and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor David Shulenburger made a presentation on the issue at the November regents meeting

KU will be an active and vocal participant in deliberations throughout the legislative session. In addition to testimony by Chancellor Robert Hemenway and others on key issues, KU students, faculty and staff will all make legislative visits designed to help demonstrate KU’s value to the state.

A special highlight of the session will be the second “KU in the Capitol” event from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 16. More than 30 academic and outreach units — representing all four campuses — will have staff and displays in the state Capitol, showing some of the many ways KU serves Kansas. Alumni are welcome to attend, tour the displays and visit with legislators.

Legislative information and updates, as well as details about “KU in the Capitol,” will be posted online during the next session at www.govrelations.ku.edu. Stay informed this spring as the Legislature acts on the budget and other bills that affect KU.