By Joseph Altman Jr.
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The Arizona Board of Regents will meet at the UA today and tomorrow, spending much of the session studying the future budgets of Arizona's three universities.
Today, the regents will spend the majority of the day breaking down the budget for the 1997 fiscal year, which they will vote on next month.
The University of Arizona is requesting $310.1 million for the main campus in 1997. That is $24.4 million more than this year's budget. In addition, the UA wants $5.3 million for the New Campus, a $3.4 million increase, and $1.5 million for the Sierra Vista Campus, an increase of $676,000.
In tomorrow's session, the board's programs committee will give its annual report on goals which were set up to improve undergraduate education.
Paul Alvin, state director of the Arizona Students Association, said the report will show "what each university is doing to get students out with the degrees they want and as much professorial instruction as possible."
Also on Friday, the regents will consider the future growth demand of Arizona's university system. Previously, an increase of 55,000 students was expected statewide over 10 to 15 years. Now, that increase is expected over a 20 year term.
Alvin said the Regents may decide to slow down expansion projects after seeing the new enrollment projections, or they may acknowledge that the need for new facilities will still be warranted in the future, and leave current projects as planned.
"Some (Regents) say we should wait and see, but others say to still prepare for (enrollment increases) now," Alvin said.
The Regents will meet from 10:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. today and 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Student Union Rincon Room.