AIC enrollment quota removed from Legislature's latest budget proposal

The campus had been threatened by a budget footnote stating that continued funding hinged on meeting a student enrollment requirement of 250 students by Oct. 1. In the latest budget proposal, that footnote would be eliminated.

"It's considered a done deal," said House Majority Whip Daniel Eberhart, R-Glendale.

Sen. John Huppenthal, R-Chandler, said closing the campus so soon after its inception would be "bad public policy."

However, Huppenthal said, "I think they know they're at risk."

Celestino FernÊndez, executive vice president of the AIC, said he was pleased, but not surprised, by the footnote's demise.

He said that since the campus' future came into question, some potential students have canceled visits, and that at least one high school counselor in the state was advising students not to attend.

"There's been some damage done," FernÊndez said.

Senate Majority Whip Gary Richardson, R-Tempe, said he did not think any of the damage was irreparable.

FernÊndez said that students have been supportive. He said he would be interested in having legislators visit the campus to find out more about its role and location.

In all, the current proposal calls for $48.2 million in new spending on the three state universities, $15 million more than the Joint Legislative Budget Committee had proposed and $4.9 million more than Republican Gov. Fife Symington's proposal.

However, Greg Fahey, associate vice president for state relations for the University of Arizona, said the numbers are misleading.

Fahey said the governor's budget recommendation called for $27.1 million in operating expenses for the universities. The current legislative proposal only calls for $22 million.

He also said $10.2 million may be earmarked for new instructional programs, which does not help the state's problems.

"What we're trying to do is build our base budget," Fahey said.

For example, Fahey said that under the current legislative proposal, the UA would take a $4 million budget reduction because of lower enrollment. He said UA administrators think the budget should only be reduced by $3 million and the university will need to fill in the difference.

He also said confusion exists over how the money could be spent.

In the current proposal, faculty teaching pay incentives, once amounting to $8.2 million, are reduced to $4 million and included in the university employee pay raise of $10.2 million.

Professors will have to teach six undergraduate credit hours each semester to qualify.

"We want to send them the message that we want them to do more for undergraduates," said Rep. Laura Knaperek, R-Tempe. She said she thinks the universities are listening.

Fahey said the UA wants the money but does not agree with the incentive program because it is not sensitive to the way professors operate.

The current budget proposal would also force the state's two law schools to raise tuition by reducing their funding.

"Quite frankly, in Arizona it's a bargain to go to school," Eberhart said. He said the increase in law school tuition makes them comparable to other schools.

Fahey said the Legislature was stepping into the traditional role of the Arizona Board of Regents and setting a bad precedent.

"Why have a board if everyone else is going to do their job?" Fahey said.