Regents prez, Likins still unhappy with state budget

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Judy Gignac Regents President

As the state Legislature continued to discuss the revised budget, University of Arizona President Peter Likins told the Faculty Senate that the new proposal is not a cause to rejoice.

"I'm concerned about the fact that the press has, in some sense, lost the appropriate context for evaluating this budget," he said.

While the new proposal is a major increase compared to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee's original plan - a $6.5 million cut in UA funding - it only gives the university a 2 percent increase in operating funds, Likins said.

The proposal is "not a disaster, but it's not something to celebrate," he said, adding that the budget is essentially flat, offers no increase and does not allow for yearly inflation.

Under the original JLBC plan, $4.4 million in funding for the UA's James E. Rogers College of Law would have been eliminated.

The Legislature's proposal threatened the law college's $115 million donation from Rogers, owner of Sunbelt Communications Co. and KVBC-TV in Las Vegas. Rogers made his contribution on the condition that the program's state funding would be maintained.

Regents President Judy Gignac said that the UA needs to find a better way to communicate with the Legislature in order to avoid the future risk of major funding cuts.

"We must get our story out," she said. "We must build support."

Gignac said that she is gathering a team composed of regents, faculty, university presidents and legislators to "bridge the gap" between schools and the state, and hopes more extensive discussion will solve the problem.

John Schwarz, the senior faculty associate to the president, said the UA must convince the Legislature that investment in higher education pays back the community in the future.

Schwarz emphasized the importance of specifically outlining the university's needs.

"Because there is no rationale behind the overall size of the budget, the legislators see the university as a spender," he said.