Congratulations to Coach Lorenzo Romar and the UW men’s basketball team for an exciting run in the NCAA tournament. While the loss to West Virginia in the round of 16 was bittersweet, our coaches and players should be very proud of their nine-game winning streak, Pac-10 Tournament championship and two NCAA tournament victories. I know we are all very proud of them. Go Huskies!
Presidential Blog
Watching for signs of progress in Olympia
The Legislature begins its special session today, needing to finish its work on the 2010 supplemental budget, including spending cuts and taxes. As we have seen during the 60-day regular session, legislators have been wrestling with the unenviable task of plugging a large hole in the state budget. Finding the right balance between more budget reductions and increased tax revenues is a daunting task and the reason they have gone into special session. We wish them wisdom and a speedy resolution.
The University prefers the Senate version of the operating budget, in which all higher education institutions would have the same 6% cut to their budgets. The House’s version cuts the UW at a higher level than other institutions and also transfers over $18 million in student building fees, which we use for critical capital maintenance projects, into the general fund. We hope the compromise budget looks more like the Senate’s.
With respect to the capital budget, we hope to get a higher funding level approved for the Balmer Hall renovation and for the UW Tacoma Phase 3 project. The majority of both projects are financed with UW building funds–not state bonds– and both were reduced from their original request levels.
We did have some good news during the regular session. A couple of bills were passed that give the University more management flexibility in purchasing and capital projects, enabling us to save more dollars in our business operations. This is especially important in these tight economic times.
As students complete their final exams and head off for a brief respite before spring quarter begins, we are watching closely for signs of progress in Olympia.
Huskies are Pac-10 champs!
Congratulations to Coach Romar and the UW men’s basketball team for winning the Pac-10 tournament with a thrilling 79-75 victory over Cal on Saturday! Please join me in wishing the Huskies continued success when they take on Marquette in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday in San Jose. You can keep up with the latest from the NCAAs at gohuskies.com
President Emmert’s budget letter to lawmakers
In a letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire and members of the state Legislature, UW President Mark Emmert offered his thoughts on the 2010 supplemental operating and capital budget proposals. He also thanked the governor and lawmakers for making student financial aid a priority in both budgets.
“Regarding the two chambers’ approaches to our budget reductions,” he wrote, “we strongly prefer the Senate approach.” Read more in his March 1 letter >
Tuition-setting bill heard by committee
The Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday took testimony on Substitute Senate Bill 6562, which would give tuition-setting authority to the UW, WSU and Western Washington. The UW is trying to strike the right balance between access and affordability and quality for our students and for the state. Here are audio excerpts from the hearing:
SBB 6562 explained by staff:
The UW supports the bill:
What percentage of state funds makes up the UW’s budget? If the bill passes, what assurance is there that the number of minority and middle-class students won’t drop and that the debt load on students won’t increase?
What about graduate and professional students?
Freshman retention rates:
Raising awareness of Husky Promise
UW leaders and students are traveling the state this month to raise awareness of Husky Promise, and hundreds of enthusiastic high school students have met with us so far to find out what it’s all about. I have personally visited with students in Tacoma, Toppenish and Seattle. It’s gratifying to meet so many bright young people whose college dreams could be realized, thanks to programs like Husky Promise.
Husky Promise is our guarantee that financial challenges won’t stand in the way of eligible Washington state students achieving their potential and earning a UW degree. To quote Gov. Gregoire, “Education is the single best investment for our future and the key to success for our children.†We at the University of Washington are doing all we can to make sure finances are not a barrier to a college education for eligible students.
UW leaders and students have more visits planned this month: Lummi High School in Bellingham on Feb. 8, Kent-Meridian High School on Feb. 9, Mariner High School in Everett on Feb. 10 and Rogers High School in Spokane on Feb. 16. You can learn more about Husky Promise on our Web site. You can also keep up with the Husky Promise tour by following us on Twitter and Facebook.
Legislative update from Olympia
Dear Members of the University Community:
With the 2010 legislative session now underway, I want to take this opportunity to follow up on my November e-mail message in which I communicated the University’s strategies in the wake of the latest state revenue shortfall. As we move forward, we are focusing our message in Olympia on four key planks:
- Stop further budget reductions that would erode our ability to meet the educational needs of our students and to serve the citizens of Washington.
- Preserve funding for the State Need Grant program that serves so many Washington students from economically stressed families and that makes our Husky Promise program possible.
- Provide reasonable tuition flexibility.
- Provide greater management flexibility in our operating processes.
Video: State Legislature takes up tuition
President Emmert testified before the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee on Jan. 20 in favor of granting tuition-setting authority to the state’s public universities.
The funding model is broken:
Is there a floor to state support, which is now less than tuition revenue in the university’s budget?
Do institutions have a problem with cohort pricing?
Office Hours: Winter 2010
As a new decade, a new academic quarter, and a new session of the State Legislature begin, more difficult decisions await higher education in Washington state. In the latest edition of Office Hours, UW President Mark Emmert offers his perspective on the 2010 legislative session and what’s at stake for the UW. Watch the video »
Providing aid and assistance to Haiti
Dear Members of the University Community:
The disaster that has hit the island nation of Haiti is nothing short of horrific. Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti and to the many citizens of other countries who have been working there to help improve the lives of Haitians. Our own Department of Global Health, through its International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), has had an office there since 2004 strengthening the response to HIV/AIDS. Fortunately, as far as we know, most of its people are safe and unharmed. But that cannot be said for the thousands trying to cope in the aftermath of this devastating earthquake.
Many in our UW community have inquired about ways in which they can help and provide assistance for the international relief efforts being mounted in response to this disaster. The Office of Global Affairs has assembled a list of organizations that are accepting gifts and volunteers. The list is not exhaustive and may be found at the Global Affairs web site.
I hope you will take a moment to visit the page and contribute in any way you can to help those in need in Haiti. It is hard to fathom how desperate their plight is and the difficulties they face in the coming days and weeks. Continue reading “Providing aid and assistance to Haiti”