Scheduled budget cuts reduced to 2 percent
The end of the 2011 Utah general legislative session brought good news for Utah State students and faculty. Significantly lowered budget cuts, ongoing funding for USU’s new veterinary medicine Ph.D. program and a pending grant for a new business building were all included in the session’s final outcome.
USU president Stan Albrecht said, “While the session was a difficult one in many ways, it ended with some important good news for Utah State University.”
2 Percent Budget Cut
When the session began, legislators approved a plan that would have cut USU’s budget an additional 7 percent from past years’ cuts.
“An additional 7 percent cut would have been devastating to USU,” said USU’s government relations director Neil Abercrombie.
He said two factors significantly contributed to the legislature’s decision to lower the cuts. First, in February, updated revenue numbers indicated that the State would have enough revenue to fund more programs without dipping into one-time revenue sources or the “rainy day fund.” Second, the Legislature emphasized restoring the proposed cuts in areas that would provide a return on investment for the state of Utah.
“USU emphasized the great return on investment USU provides for the state, for example job creation with research, producing well-educated students who are competitive in the job market, increasing innovation, helping strengthen an educated workforce critical for economic development,” he said.
Albrecht said he had hoped the 7 percent cut would be eliminated entirely. He said he is currently working with vice presidents, deans, department heads, and other campus leaders on strategies for addressing the additional budget reduction.
Veterinary Medicine Program
Utah State’s original request for the veterinary medicine program was a one-time $3.2 million grant. While this grant was not awarded, the legislature decided instead to give a $1.7 million ongoing grant to both start the program and continue to fund it in coming years.
“The success of HB57, including the funding, really is a result of the hard work of Rep. Mathis and USU building a coalition of support before the 2011 Session even began,” Abercrombie said.
Abercrombie said the approval of the program is a great accomplishment, especially in a year when Utah’s state revenue is still low coming out of the national recession.
“Dean (Noelle) Cockett and Dr. Ken White from the College of Agriculture were very effective testifying before the legislature outlining the details of the DVM program,” he said.
Albrecht said the creation of the veterinary medicine program is an important step in continuing the evolution of Utah State, and will significantly enhance students’ opportunities to pursue career goals in Veterinary Medicine.
New Business Building
While approval for the bill is pending Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s signature, HB4 allocates $14 million for a new building for the USU Huntsman School of Business. Abercrombie said the building proposal gained support in the house and senate primarily because USU had already committed $16 million in private funding – more than any other building proposal this year – and only asked the state to fund the remaining $14 million. He said the bill passed both the House and the Senate by wide margins. Albrecht said he hoped Governor Herbert would sign the bill on Thursday.
USU lobbying intern Anna Harris said if Herbert refuses to sign, the bill will automatically go into effect.
“Overall I would say that USU did have a successful session,” Abercrombie said. “USU is obviously very fortunate to have a great local delegation, led by Sen. Lyle Hillyard, who serves as the co-chair of executive appropriations. In addition, Sen. Knudson, Reps. Butterfield, Webb, Draxler, Perry and Menlove all provide very effective support for USU. USU also has a great coalition o f support statewide due to our regional campuses.”
– robmjepson@gmail.com