UM to receive $13 million if Haslam budget is approved

The University of Memphis will receive $13 million of Tenn. Gov. Bill Haslam's proposed budget of roughly $31 billion, if approved by the General Assembly this spring.

Of the money allotted to The U of M, roughly 10 percent is for planning and design of a new biochemistry and biology facility and 30 percent will be received for improvements to the Lambuth campus. Sixty percent will fund major maintenance projects on the main campus such as elevator modernization, underground utility upgrades and HVAC updates.

Compared to other Tennessee schools with similar student populations, The U of M was given a significantly smaller amount of money, but University officials say the distribution of resources is fair. Middle Tennessee State University and University of Tennessee Knoxville will receive over $220 million combined from the budget for capital improvements if Haslam's proposal is approved.

"We are not getting a raw deal," said Kevin Roper executive assistant of government affairs at The U of M. "There is a process in place with (Tennessee Higher Education Commission) and the buildings being funded were on the list prior to U of M's buildings being funded. As funding becomes available, we will get our buildings funded next year."

U of M President Shirley Raines said the governor will make other funds available also.

"A 2.5 percent salary increase requirement, which we are funded for, 55 percent and each university must make up the difference," Raines said. "Those are the governor's decisions based on the availability of state revenues."

While funding for The U of M's top-priority campus projects are not at the forefront of the governor's budget, Raines is confident that money will be provided in coming years.

 "While few capital construction projects have been approved since the downturn in the economy in 2008, there is a pent-up demand," Raines said. "MTSU and UTK have moved to the top of the rotation list. We hope next year the three major projects we want to have funded—the Biology and Biochemistry Research Building, the Community Health Building, as well as the Music Center—will receive attention as others roll off the list."

A funding formula is used to decide the amount of money each university receives and money is dispersed based on this formula, Raines explained.

"The funding formula differs by the type of university, we are a doctoral research university with a high research classification, so we receive proportionally more than other colleges, but not as much as UTK, which has a very high research classification," she said.

The U of M's state appropriations have been reduced the past four years, according to Deborah Becker, director of budgeting at The U of M.

"We will have another reduction of state funds for (Fiscal Year 2013) The Governor's budget is recommending an allocation for Higher Education to recognize improvements to educational outcomes," she said.

 The amount of money The U of M will receive in the future will be contingent on a number of factors, Raines said.

"Whether we receive a larger amount in coming years will depend on our capital construction requests, fundraising for matching funds for those projects, the research level, the retention progress towards degree and graduation rates," she said.

Raines said she is hopeful that with time the budget for higher education will increase.

"I am always eager to get more from the State's budget, but given the economy is improving, it is my hope that the Governor's budget for higher education will improve in the next year," she said.