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Governor’s Budget Proposal
The Governor released his proposed budget for 2006-08 on
December 16, 2005. Click
here for Highlights of
the Governor’s 2006-08 budget recommendations pertaining to VCU. The Governor
provided funding for a number of key priorities listed below that Virginia
Commonwealth University and the VCU Health System advanced during the year.
Faculty, staff, students, and alumni are encouraged to
contact their respective House of Delegates and Senate of Virginia members to
inform them how Governor Warner's budget recommendations will further the
academic and health care missions of VCU and the VCU Health System. For your convenience,
click
here for
a link to contact information for your elected representatives. Please click
here
for a reminder of guidelines for taking public policy positions or offering
public comment.
2006 Legislative Priorities with Partial or Full Funding
Proposed
Base Adequacy Funding. The General Assembly’s base
adequacy funding model is used to identify the appropriate state funding level
for each Virginia college and university. The formula takes into consideration
a number of factors, including enrollment growth, credit hours, complexity of
programs. Using the formula, Virginia Commonwealth University is under-funded
by more than $60 million per year. Governor Warner’s introduced budget includes
$16.5 million in each of the next two fiscal years to bring us closer to our
base funding levels.
Medical Sciences Building II. The Medical Sciences
II (MSB2) will be a 125,000 square foot, eight story building which will replace
the current Nursing Education Building on Broad Street. Since approval of the
General Obligation Bond in 2002, the scope of the project has changed from an
academic and research facility to being entirely designed for research and
research support space. Governor Warner’s budget authorizes $12.4 million
in general funds and $5.4 million in non-general funds required for construction.
VCU will work with the Governor and the General Assembly to secure the remaining
$3.875 million needed for the project. Click
here for more details.
Massey Cancer Center. The Massey Cancer Center
Addition (MCCA) expansion adds 20,000 square feet for research to the Addition’s
60,000 square feet by adding an extra floor. The MCCA is in close proximity to
MSB 2, which will facilitate planned collaborative faculty research across
several scientific and medical disciplines. The expansion will cost an
additional $12.2 million. The Governor has approved VCU’s request of $6 million
in state funding to support this project.
Renovation of Business Building. The Governor’s
budget proposal includes approximately $19 million to renovate the School of
Business Building in preparation for use by the School of Social Work and the
School of Education.
Higher Education Research Initiative. Virginia
Commonwealth University and other institutions of higher education have been
working with the Governor’s Administration for nearly four years regarding state
investment in research funding. Governor Warner announced at VCU that he would
be proposing a $500 million package for higher education research, which
includes a matching component from other funding sources. The package includes
$12.5 million in state funding in the areas of cancer, neurological and
metabolic diseases at VCU. It also includes $4.2 million to be allocated
between VCU and UVA for research in regenerative medicine.
The Governor’s research initiative includes two additional
components critical to VCU. The first is a supplemental Higher Education
Equipment Trust Fund (HEETF) allocation of $6 million for much needed research
equipment. The second is authorization to appropriate certain interest earnings
of approximately $5.5 million over the biennium to support the research
initiative at VCU.
This proposal is the culmination of a considerable amount
of effort to advance research funding. No Governor has made such a bold
research initiative for institutions of higher education. The Governor’s vision
will have a dramatic impact on the translational research and on economic
development throughout the Commonwealth. This VCU priority will take a constant
and concerted effort with members of the General Assembly to ensure that the
funding stays in the final budget recommendations.
Faculty and Staff Compensation. Compensation for
faculty and staff continues to be a high priority among Virginia’s colleges and
universities. The budget as introduced by the Governor includes a 4% increase
for teaching and research faculty; 3% for administrative faculty; and, 3% for
classified employees with a “contributor” or higher rating on their last
performance evaluation. The introduced budget does not address salary increases
in the second year of the biennium.
Financial Aid. Nearly 75% of VCU students work
part- or full-time. Student financial assistance is essential. The Governor’s
proposes a financial aid increase for VCU students of $1.4 million each year
above the current base aid appropriation of $10.8 million. In addition, the
Governor’s budget adds nearly $1 million in graduate financial aid above the
current base amount of $1.7 million.
Indigent Care. The VCU Health System continues to
provide nearly one-third of the indigent care health services to under-insured
and uninsured working Virginians. The Governor’s proposed budget continues the
recent trend of providing 100% of cost for this much needed health care.
Unfunded Priority
Dental School Addition. The Dental School Addition
is a university priority in partnership with the Virginia Dental Association.
Funding for the project will add a four-story, 53,600 square-foot building that
will include patient treatment clinical space, lecture halls, and research
laboratories. The total project cost is estimated to be $11.75 million. VCU,
under traditional funding split arrangements with the state, is requesting $6.2
million. The Dental School Addition was not included in the Governor’s proposed
budget. It is in the top ten legislative/budget priorities for VCU.
If you have questions, contact Don Gehring (dcgehrin@vcu.edu) or Mark Smith (mesmith@vcu.edu). Our office phone number is: 804-828-1235. |
