Curators discuss budget, faculty compensation for 2011, 2012

Posted to Live blog: June 2010 Board of Curators meeting by Zach Toombs at 2:21 p.m., June 10, 2010

The UM system Board of Curators debated asking the state to restore funding the university has lost in the last year due to cuts to Missouri's higher education budget during its finance committee meeting today.

Appropriations from the state requested by the university for fiscal year 2011 are 30 percent more than the state funding the UM system received in the last fiscal year, said Nikki Krawitz, vice president for finance and administration.

Curator Wayne Goode said he didn't see the logic in asking for more than the amount the university needed in the next year in the current economic state.

“I think we have an obligation to the university, the students and the state to ask for what we need,” Goode said. “At the same time, I’ve never seen the situation play out where you’ve taken a cut because of the state’s economic situation and then you request even more than you need for the coming year.”

UM system President Gary Forsee said asking for the state to restore the funds the university hasn't received in the last year would be sensible.

“We made a deal with the governor to keep tuition flat,” Forsee said. “We could have decided not to do that, but we’re trying to balance our own funding with affordability to students. I think it’s completely fair to ask for restoration of the cuts we’ve faced, given the fact that we’ve foregone tuition increases.”

Board Chairwoman Judith Haggard said her biggest concern regarding the budget is the lack of increases for compensation for faculty and staff.

"I know salaries are something we hear a lot about, and a lot of people are worried we're going to lose a lot of good people because we can't give them what they deserve," Haggard said.

Krawitz said compensation for faculty and staff is a priority, but that the UM system is in better shape than many institutions making significant cuts to funding for compensation.

"We may not be able to gain ground, but we won't lose ground, certainly," said Betsy Rodriguez, UM system vice president for human resources.

The curators will vote on the budget for fiscal year 2011 Friday.