PHOENIX - Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano's 2005 budget proposal calls for an $8 million funding boost for the UA to keep valuable professors and help accommodate a growing student body.
Napolitano came through on her State of the State promise to "continue to invest significantly in Arizona's universities," asking the Legislature for $46 million in additional funding for the three state schools, including $21.9 million for pay raises for university employees.
At the UA, the funding increases consist of nearly $4.3 million aimed at retaining key faculty members. The UA would also receive a share of $21.9 million set aside for employee raises at all three universities. An additional $3.6 million would help deal with enrollment growth.
In the budget, Arizona State University would get a roughly $13.5 million increase to help administrators keep up with skyrocketing enrollment. Northern Arizona University would receive $2.6 million for pay increases and to bolster their nursing program that Napolitano said would help the statewide nursing shortage.
UA officials had asked Napolitano for $64 million more than their 2004 state funding of nearly $316.6 million, but UA President Peter Likins said he was satisfied with Napolitano's financial commitment to the university in the face of a looming $300 million budget deficit.
"I trust this governor, and I trust her commitment to higher education and her belief in the value of investing in the state's universities," Likins said. "When I look at the numbers ... I am pleased that they reflect our priorities."
Likins said he was disappointed that monies requested for increased retirement and healthcare and building renewal were not included in the governor's budget, but said he was pleased that the universities' major concerns to keep valued professors and address enrollment growth were met.
"It's a reasonable compromise," Likins said. "It's genuinely a tight budget year, and we recognize that the governor is doing her best."
Republican lawmakers said they support Napolitano's commitment to the universities but caution that it may be unrealistic to increase funding for any of Arizona's agencies with such a large deficit.
"I don't think we are going to talk about cutting anything; we're going to talk about keeping people whole at current year budget levels and controlling the amount of growth," said Senate President Ken Bennett, R-Prescott. "It's not going to be cutting anybody; it's just going to be not increasing them as much as she wants."
Other Republicans said they were surprised to see a more moderate funding request from Napolitano, compared to the $129 million the universities had initially asked for, said Sen. Jim Waring, R-Phoenix, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
"I don't know if I'd say it's doable, but it is more reasonable," Waring said.
University faculty welcomed the governor's commitment to become competitive with peer universities that continue to lure faculty away with the promise of higher pay.
"I applaud Governor Napolitano for recognizing the need at the University of Arizona and all the states universities and attempting to address it," said Larry Evers, head of the English department.
"It is our number one problem that salaries at the U of A are simply not competitive with our peer institutions," Evers said. "We are not talking about Harvard or Stanford here; we are talking about the University of Washington."
Evers said the 54 faculty members in the English department are a combined $442,000 below the median pay of faculty at state research universities nationwide.
The Senate House Appropriations committee may begin looking at the requests as early as tomorrow, and it will likely be a while before the Legislature and the governor can find middle ground on the university funding, Sen. Waring said.
With the task of passing the funding increases through a Republican Legislature ahead, Napolitano said she remained devoted to improving higher education in Arizona.
"As you are building Arizona, and trying to get from one place to the next, the universities are the place to invest," Napolitano said.