Peter Likins

Suggests part of $1B surplus could go to higher ed.

PHOENIX - President Peter Likins asked lawmakers of the Arizona Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday to make an investment in the state's university system using part of Arizona's projected $1 billion budget surplus.

The amount of state funding for the universities has shifted dramatically in the last 30 years, Likins said. The amount the state contributed in the 1970s, as a percentage, was more than double the amount it gives today.

"We have suffered more by this metric than any other state (except for) two," Likins said.

Likins is scheduled to release his tuition proposal for the UA on Monday. It will then be forwarded to the Arizona Board of Regents.

He acknowledged that while budget cuts to public universities have occurred in every state, the loss of state support in Arizona was one of the largest in the country.

A document presented by UA officials stated that there has been a 58 percent change in public funding since 1976.

"We have to decide what our commitment is for affordability," said Likins.

He said that although there has been a significant increase in tuition in recent years, the cost is not enough to exclude students.

"We are still cheap," Likins said.

Likins outlined budget priorities, asking the legislators for $10 million to help the university keep top faculty members, saying the other universities are luring away top faculty.

"We need to have a war chest to concentrate on a fraction of the faculty," Likins said.

Likins gave the example of the loss of four leading UA scientists who left the UA in 2003 to take positions at the Georgia Institute of Technology, saying it cost the UA tens of millions of research dollars.

"We suffered a devastating loss," Likins said.

The budget touted by Likins at the appropriations committee is identical to the budget released last week by Gov. Janet Napolitano, although the UA's original budget proposal asked for $20 million more than Napolitano's.

The UA had asked for $38 million to renovate and modernize its classrooms, but the budget was zeroed out in the Governor's proposal. Likins said the governor was only willing to support specific proposals, and only funded $4 million in specific requests by Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University.

The loss of the monies for renovations is an example of the complex budget negotiations, where the UA is denied some requests but receives others. For example, Likins said, the $7.3 million earmarked to the UA for economic development, which includes a $5 million technology transfer program, was a win for the UA.

We need to have a war chest to concentrate on a fraction of the faculty. Peter Likins, UA president

The UA was the only university to receive funding for economic development, according to a study by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the research office of the legislature.

After Likins gave his presentation, the committee members argued about the merits of a measure that would eliminate the funding for students carrying excess credits.

A recommendation by the JLBC suggested a total credit hour threshold, but legislators argued about who should be eligible.

The debate centered on which credits should qualify when tallying the total amount a student has. The spokesperson for the JLBC said it identified 1,500 Arizona students who are over the 155 credit-hour mark, but their estimate included undergraduate students doing post-graduate work and transfer credits from other institutions.

The JLBC recommended that the threshold become effective in fiscal year 2007 and be phased in over three fiscal years, suggesting that the measure would save $8 million annually.

Rep. Jim Warring (R-7) gave an example of a friend who, after graduating from ASU with a degree in history, went into the Marines before leaving to go to medical school. In this case, the student would be unfairly included in this count, despite going back to school and taking necessary science courses before enrolling in medical school. These courses would count toward his total credit hours despite being part of his required course study.

The loss of funding, Warring said, would have been a "disincentive" for his friend to go to medical school.

Rep. Robert Cannell (D-24) said he had concerns about the standards set by the JLBC to count students.

President Likins told the Arizona Daily Wildcat the UA does not support the JLBC suggestion of a credit-hour threshold, saying it unfairly punished hard-working students.

"It is a noble intent, but misguided," Likins said.

He said there are few "lazy students" who are in the university system truly taking classes needlessly.

Likins said there are several programs at the UA, including nursing and engineering, that require more credit hours than the other programs.