Legislative update: a briefing for faculty and staff of the University System of Georgia, No. 4 (Jan. 28, 2002)

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
A Briefing for Faculty & Staff of the University System of Georgia

No. 4, Jan. 28, 2002

Access is Key Issue Driving FY '03 Budget Initiatives

`We Can't Leave Anyone Behind,' Chancellor Tells Legislators

University System Chancellor Thomas C. Meredith declared his intent to relentlessly pursue the key goals of the Board of Regents' new Strategic Plan -- access, retention and graduation -- in outlining the System's FY 2003 Budget Request for the Joint House and Senate Appropriations Committees on Jan. 22.
Noting that Georgia consistently has been one of the nation's top importers of college-educated men and women and that children born during

a baby boom in the early 1980s are now graduating from high school, Meredith told budget writers that "It's time we seized the opportunity to help more Georgians tackle college. We are a long way from where we need to be in that regard.
"We have to make sure we have the right access, the right programs and a more-thanadequate amount of resources and facilities," he said. "If we don't, Georgians will leave the state for college, and we'll probably lose them for good."

Today:
Chancellor Thomas C. Meredith and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Economic Development Annie Hunt Burriss will appear before the House Higher Education Subcommittee 3:30 p.m., Room 135, State Capitol
Next Up:
Gov. Barnes' "State of the State" Address 11 a.m., Thurs., Jan. 31 House Chamber, State Capitol

Meredith pointed out that the University System has a plan for enhancing college participation by two segments of the population currently being under-served -- African-American males and nontraditional students. Gov. Roy E. Barnes has recommended $2.18 million to fund this special initiative.
Part of this money will fund research to give the University System a better understanding of why so few African-American males attend college. Meredith explained that while 22.4 percent of the System's students are African Americans -- mirroring that portion of the state's population -- there are twice as many females as male students in this group. The University System plans to use this research to find better ways to reach AfricanAmerican males. Together with a plan to enroll Georgia in a

minority doctoral program run by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), this should have a positive effect on minority participation in higher education in Georgia. The Governor has recommended $160,000 to fund scholarships allowing eight minority students planning to teach science, math, and engineering in college to participate in the SREB program.
The University System also will use $1.9 million of the Governor's $2.18 million recommendation for the special initiative to bring select four-year college programs to two-year college sites in areas of the state where there are no senior colleges or universities. This plan is an effort to boost college participation by non-traditional students, adults who graduated from high school at least five years ago.
See "Access," Page 2 ...

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE -- January 28, 2002, Issue No. 4

Access
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Georgia ranks dead last among the 50 states in postsecondary participation rates among two non-traditional age groups, Meredith explained. In Fall 1997, only 4.5 percent of Georgia residents aged 25-39 were enrolled in college, compared to a national average of 6.7 percent. Among residents aged 40-64, only 1 percent were enrolled, compared to a national average of 2 percent.
"If this state is to move forward economically and socially we can't leave anyone behind," the chancellor said.
Another segment of the state's population the University System has targeted for special attention is the healthcare profession, which is facing a critical shortage of trained workers. Gov. Barnes has recommended $1.53 million to enable the System's successful economic-development program, Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP), to expand its focus on the information-technology field to include health care. ICAPP officials intend to use their

proven public-privatepartnership model to work with health-care organizations to create fast-track education programs for healthcare professionals, Meredith told legislators.
Turning to the 5 percent budget reductions that Barnes has ordered every state agency to plan for in FY '03, the chancellor emphasized that nearly $100 million has been shaved from the University System's resident instruction budget, paring it down from $1.5 billion to $1.43 billion. Barnes' recommendations cut $25 million from the Major Repair and Rehabilitation (MRR) funds and almost $6 million cut from the Special Funding Initiatives request.
"Although we are good stewards and good managers, these cuts will not be without pain," the chancellor said. "It is not possible to take $70 million away from our universities and not see an impact on our effectiveness and what we are able to provide for our students. I want to stress that the loss of MRR funds will have some significant, longterm and negative

impacts on our infrastructure," he added. "The regents take seriously their responsibility to preserve and protect the facilities that have been entrusted to them."
Before concluding his address, the chancellor paused to praise legislators for their continued commiment to increasing faculty and staff salaries.
"The University System of Georgia has benefited -- and the citizens of Georgia have benefited -- from your support and your investment of the state's resources," he said. "One of the greatest returns on this investment is in the backbone of the system -- its people. We are appreciative of the Governor's recommendation to provide a 3.5 percent average merit salary increase for FY `03."
In FY `01, Georgia moved up from fifth to fourth among the 16 SREB states for faculty salaries. Meredith said the 4.5 percent increase System employees received in FY '02, the recommended 3.5 percent in the new budget and the fact that some other SREB states are in worse economic condition should help

Georgia further improve its competitive standing.
"We have been able to pirate many excellent faculty from states which have not made the same commitment.," he said. "We have to make sure that the critical pieces that have been funded don't fall short during this period of time. We must not lose ground.
"The investment in education is the one, proven, sound strategy that will help Georgia prosper economically in the long-term," Meredith concluded. "It is because you have stuck by your commitment to education that Georgia will stay strong."

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