Legislative update: a briefing for faculty and staff of the University System of Georgia, No. 13 (Apr. 9, 2008)

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
A Briefing for Faculty & Staff of the University System of Georgia
"Creating a More Educated Georgia"

No. 13, April 9, 2008

Session Ends with FY09 Budget that Represents `A Vote of Confidence' in the USG
Full Formula Funds, $7.2M for Physician Ed Expansion, $264.3M in Capital Projects, $12.5M for Libraries

The Georgia General Assembly adjourned its 2008 session "sine die" at midnight on Friday, April 4, after adopting a budget for Fiscal Year 2009 that includes the University System of Georgia's (USG) full $114.7 million formula request.
The $21.2 billion budget adopted by state legislators in the final hours of the 40-day session also includes $7.2 million for the expansion of physician education in the USG, $6.5 million to support the start-up of Georgia Gwinnett College and a 2.5 percent merit salary increase for USG faculty and staff, effective Jan. 1, 2009.
The FY09 budget is "a strong endorsement of the Board of Regents' priorities and the Governor's recommendations," said Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr., adding that "the board's message regarding the importance of public higher

education to Georgia was clearly heard."
Numerous capital projects for which the regents requested funds were funded. The legislature added planning funds for a medical commons building at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), planning funds for a new library at Georgia Tech, several public library projects and others.

Davis noted that the we will continue efforts

appropriation for Major to educate our legisla-

Repairs and Renova- tive partners on the

tions (MRR) was re-

need to increase fund-

duced from $65 million ing to maintain our

to $60 million. "It is facilities."

our understanding that this change was made in order to include additional insti-

In a letter to the regents highlighting the
See "Budget," Page 2 ...

tutional projects

and to balance The next issue will contain a

the overall state review of legislation from the

bond package," he said. "In 2009,

2008 session.

A Look at the Capital Budget
Majors: Equipment funds (previously funded for design and construction) 1. Savannah State University Behavioral/Social Science Building... ... $1,900,000 2. Macon State College Professional Sciences Center... ............... $2,600,000 3. Fort Valley State University Academic Classroom Building............ $2,100,000 4. University of Georgia College of Pharmacy... ........................... $4,500,000 5. Kennesaw State University Health Sciences Building.................. $4,500,000
Majors: Construction funds 1. Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry... .....................$70,000,000 2. Southern Polytechnic State U. Engineering Technology Building......$33,300,000 3. Valdosta State University Nevins Hall renovation........................ $4,075,000 4. University of West Georgia infrastructure... ........................... $1,900,000 5. Clayton State University Science Building renovation.................. $6,900,000 6. Georgia Southern U. Health & Human Science Bldg. renovation...... $4,000,000 7. Georgia Tech Innovative Learning Resource Center.....................$10,000,000 8. Skidaway Institute of Oceanography marine ops. infrastructure...... $1,200,000 9. Georgia State U./ Georgia Perimeter College Alpharetta Center......$11,800,000
See "Capital Budget," Page 2 ...

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE -- April 9, 2008, Issue No. 13

FY09 Budget
Continued from Page 1...
budget produced by the FY09 Conference Committee, Davis said in summary, "Overall, this is an excellent day for the University System. This budget represents a dramatic vote of confidence in

the work of the Board of Regents and of the University System presidents. "
The FY09 budget must be approved by Gov. Sonny Perdue before it is official, but as it stands now, the $114.7 million formula

fund increase includes: $81.6 million to cover enrollment; $10.3 million for maintenance and operations (M&O); $4.7 million to cover fringe benefits for new USG retirees; and $18.1 million to cover the cost of providing

Capital Budget Continued from Page 1...
Majors: Design funds 1. Coastal Georgia Community College Health Sciences Building... ... $1,000,000 2. East Georgia College Statesboro facility... .................................$500,000 3. Gordon College Nursing/Health Bldg. Construction request FY10 $13,200,000 4. Gainesville State College Academic facility.............................. $2,400,000 5. University of Georgia Special Collections Library........................ $1,500,000
Major Repairs and Renovations (MRR) All bond funds.................................................................. $60,000,000
Other USG projects 1. Georgia Tech Hinman Research Building renovation... ............... $6,400,000 2. Macon State College (design) Teacher Education Buillding............ $1,600,000 3. Abraham Baldwin Ag. College Tift/Lewis/Herring Halls renovation $6,000,000 4. Fort Valley State University Animal Rescue Center... .....................$750,000 5. Medical College of Georgia (design funds) consolidated School of Dentistry,
Medical School & Educational Commons................................. $3,000,000 6. University of West Georgia Speaker Murphy Library and Office... ... $8,000,000 7. Medical College of Georgia (renovation and equipment funds) Umbilical Cord
Stem Cell Core Facility... ......................................................$500,000 8. Medical College of Georgia Zeiss Live Five Microscope System.........$650,000
Public Libraries 1. Conyers Nancy Guinn Memorial Library addition... .................. $2,000,000 2. Coweta Senoia Public Library............................................. $1,225,000 3. Pierce County Blackshear Memorial Library... ........................ $1,900,000 4. Houston County Library...................................................... $2,000,000 5. Grantville Public Library... ...................................................$665,000 6. Forsyth County Library... ................................................... $2,000,000 7. Jeff Davis Public Library... ...................................................$200,000 8. Mildred Terry Branch Library... .............................................$500,000 9. Douglas County Library...................................................... $2,000,000
Total Capital Projects for FY09 (bond funds)... ........................... $296,370,000

health insurance to employees.
The $7.2 million legislators voted to appropriate for the expansion of physician education in the USG will help the USG to educate more doctors by 1) increasing the Medical College of Georgia's enrollment capacity in Augusta and 2) beginning to develop a new four-year MCG School of Medicine campus in Athens in partnership with the University of Georgia, along with expanded clinical opportunities in Albany and Savannah.
Davis thanked Senior Vice Chancellor for External Affairs Tom Daniel, Executive Director for Government Relations Amanda Seals and the USG's institutional liaisons to the General Assembly for their daily work in keeping the University System's priorities on the legislative agenda. He also thanked Interim Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Affairs Usha Ramachandran and her staff for providing information to budget writers, often on extremely short notice, thereby making a significant contribution to the System's success during the legislative session. Q

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