UA will ask Legislature to discuss funding Union

President Peter Likins said yesterday he would peddle that notion to legislators as they plot the 1999 University of Arizona budget during the next few weeks.

"That would be absolutely fantastic," he said of the state funding idea, saying, however, he was not optimistic it would come to fruition.

"(UA lobbyist) Greg Fahey and I will be talking about that on the way to the airport," he added as he wrapped up his second day of legislative testimony.

Likins was in Phoenix Tuesday and yesterday to pitch the 1999 UA budget proposal to the state Legislature, which holds the purse strings for about one-third of the overall UA budget. The rest comes from the federal government, private grants and tuition.

Likins' comment stemmed from a question about Student Union woes asked by Rep. Andy Nichols, D-Tucson, during a hearing Tuesday. Nichols also is a UA professor of family and community medicine.

"Representative Nichols was on his own initiative making suggestions beneficial to the university," Likins said. "I will follow up with him and ask if that is feasible."

Fahey also said he would ask around, but he too expressed pessimism.

"I'm grateful, but I don't think it's feasible," he said. "There is a long trend about what the state will pay for."

He added, "We haven't been getting a general fund request to build buildings for years. Buildings are usually constructed using academic or research revenue bonding."

Christine Thompson, of the Arizona Students' Association, lauded the idea, as it would reduce or eliminate the need for a student fee.

"Anything that can control student fees on a state level will be helpful to students," said Thompson, executive director of the student lobbying group.

Fahey added that work is underway for a revised Student Union renovation plan guided by Joel Valdez, UA senior vice president for business affairs.

State funding for a renovated Student Union was not part of the UA's 1999 budget request, Likins said, which outlined the university's priorities for the coming year.

During the past two days, the UA president spelled out his top priorities, ranging from increased technology infrastructure to expanded employee merit pay hikes.

Topping the list, Likins is vying for a 1 percent increase in the merit pay pool for state employees - a proposal that would cost about $1.2 million. Gov. Jane Hull's budget proposal already called for such a hike. The Legislature's plan, however, doesn't include the growth.

Likins said such an increase is vital so the UA can retain its cutting-edge teachers, who may get recruited by other universities.

Second up is library funding. A UA proposal worth $1.4 million would keep the library up-to-date on scholarly journals and give library officials funding for new information technology.

Likins said his third prerogative included information technology issues campuswide, including, for example, updated computer equipment for chemistry and biology laboratories.

Other budget priorities include full funding for Arizona International Campus of the UA, which is slated to move to the main campus next summer.

Likins said he would also like to expand the bandwidth of the microwave link between the main campus and the Sierra Vista branch campus which provides Sierra Vista students access to UA lectures. Only one-way transmission is now available, and Likins would like two-way broadcasting.