The UA has its very own advocate for higher education in Ruth Solomon. The District 14 state senator represents the University of Arizona at the state legislature. She is also the new leader of the senate appropriations committee.

And she could help the UA achieve several of its funding goals, including raising tenured track professors' salaries.

At Tuesday's Joint Legislative Budget Committee meeting, both the state house of representatives and the state senate, along with Governor Jane Hull, agreed to allocate state funding to higher education.