News & Updates

The UW’s Institute for Learning and Brain Science co-directors, Dr. Patricia Kuhl, and Dr. Andrew Meltzoff will have a busy day tomorrow, briefing three committees on the Institute’s work as part of an overall look at early learning in the state.  The briefings are 8 am before the House Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee, 10 am before the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, and 1:30 pm before the House Education Appropriations Committee.

The UW also will be represented by Mona Kunselman at a briefing on dual enrollment programs and Running start before a joint meeting of the House Education and Education Appropriations committee at 6 pm.

Thanks to all of those involved in putting together these briefings — they are a great way to inform policymakers of the cutting edge research and innovative programs at the UW.  Webcasts of the hearings are available at tvw.org.

SB 5460, which would freeze most state agency hiring, equipment purchases, contracts, and travel cleared the Senate today on a unanimous vote.  Before voting the bill out, Senators agreed to an amendment offered by Sen. Ed Murray which would exempt activities at universities from the freeze when they are paid for with non-state revenues (such as federal grants or patient revenues).

This is a significant improvement to the bill and we thank Sen. Murray for bringing it to his colleagues.  We will continue to work with lawmakers on other areas where we believe added flexibility could gain the state budget savings they are seeking while helping the UW meet our educational, research, and health-care missions.

This afternoon the Senate Ways and Means Committee passed out SB 5460 which would freeze a number of budget items, including hiring, travel, equipment purchases, and contracts (with limited exceptions).  Thanks to Sen. Ed Murray, who offered amendments to provide needed flexibility to the UW to manage the effects of the freezes; those amendments were not accepted in committee but discussions are ongoing.  The bill could reach the floor later this week.

This afternoon, House budget writers rolled out their approach to the supplemental spending plan.  The House proposal is currently being reviewed by our budget office for its effects — we will post more information here as it becomes available.

Also, the UW’s two request bills have been introduced and are awaiting public hearings. One bill (HB 1640, SB 5526) would protect private investment information received by the UW endowment fund.  The other bill (HB 1641, SB 5527) would modify the public works process to improve the efficiency of building projects.  We appreciate all of the sponsors for signing on to these bills.

It’s only the end of week two, but the pace on the hill feels more like the end of session. Rich Roesler, who writes the excellent “Eye on Olympia Blog” for the Spokesman Review, posted a picture of his desk.  It sums the situation up pretty well.

Today, UW faculty presented information on climate change to the Senate Environment, Water and Energy Committee and administrative representatives briefed the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee on enrollment trends.

Next week will see a full slate of important hearings.  The House Higher Education Committee will take up high demand enrollments (Tuesday), financial aid (Wednesday) and strategic expansion of higher education (Friday).   In the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee the agenda includes financial aid (Tuesday) and tuition policy (Wednesday).  House Ways and Means also plans a Wednesday briefing on higher education funding.

The focus won’t all be on the budget and financial matters next week.  On Tuesday the Senate Economic Development, Trade and Innovation Committee will look at international programs offered by our public universities.  The Senate Early Learning and K-12 education committee plans a Thursday hearing on early learning, including a briefing by the UW’s Institute for Learning and Brain Science (I-Labs).

We also continue to work on the spending freeze bill proposed yesterday, encouraging lawmakers to add needed flexibility.

Now to continue the search for the surface of my desk.

Senate Democrats today unveiled a bill that would freeze state hiring, contracts, equipment purchases, and travel (with very limited exceptions).  The aim is to save $105 million between now and the end of June.  Here’s a news report on what the bill (SB 5460) would do.

We testified in the Senate Ways and Means Committee today about several serious consequences the bill, as presently drafted, would have for the UW.  Specifically, the hiring and purchasing freeze extends beyond those positions funded with state dollars.  Our concerns include:

1.    Hospitals.  Over 4,000 employees are funded by patient revenues not the general fund.  Many vacancies must be filled to insure patient safety.

2.    Federal and private research grants.  Over 7,000 employees are funded through these grants.  A freeze on positions and equipment could jeopardize completion of competitively awarded grants.  Also, the inability to create new federally funded positions will make receipt of future federal stimulus funding impossible.   AIDS research in Africa or climate research in the Arctic Ocean would not be possible.

All indications are the bill is on a fast track, but we are hopeful that lawmakers will hear these concerns and allow the flexibility needed to meet our health care, research, and educational missions.  More as it develops. . .

Tacoma’s News Tribune has an excellent lead editorial today on the effect of higher education funding cuts — both on individuals and on the state economy as a whole.  Here’s an excerpt —

Opportunity is intangible, so it’s hard to see it vanishing. But sometimes the loss comes into clear focus.

It’s been painfully visible at the University of Washington this month as the school has been forced to deny acceptance to 325 students who would – with enough state funding – have otherwise been admitted for spring quarter. . .

With a state revenue shortfall now verging on $6 billion, any call for protecting a state program sounds like special pleading. The shortfall is so staggering that lawmakers will have to make some cuts in higher education and every other corner of the budget.

But any major reduction in college funding will come at a high price.Washington’s future hinges on a healthy higher education system. Its economy depends on skilled workers and creative, well-educated innovators. Its high school graduates deserve a fighting chance to become those skilled workers and innovators.

You can read the entire editorial here.

Recent news coverage of the UW’s hiring of a new football coach, coupled with of the state’s ongoing budget problems, has led to questions about how funding for athletics does (or doesn’t) affect the broader university budget.  People are free to differ about the role and cost of major college athletics.  It’s important that the debate be grounded in the facts.

•    The University of Washington Athletic Department is one of only a handful of Division I college athletic programs that is fully self-supporting.  With the exception of a small amount of state-mandated Title IX scholarship funding, the UW athletic department generates all the revenue that supports its $60 million per year operation.

•    Athletic department funding is derived from ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, and private donations.

•    The football program is the primary revenue generating sport at the University of Washington, supplying almost 85% of the department’s total revenue.  Other than football and men’s basketball, all other sports at the University of Washington operate at a loss.  Therefore, without a profitable (and successful) football program, the University of Washington would not be able to support the 21 other sports that involve more than 700 student-athletes.

In recruiting a new head football coach, the UW had to pay a competitive salary in a very competitive conference.  That said, Coach Sarkisian will be only the fourth highest paid coach in the Pac 10 conference.

Bottom line:  Having top coaching talent at the UW doesn’t cost a dime of state money.  But it is essential to keeping football revenues healthy — revenues that allow the UW to offer opportunity to a wide range of student athletes.

It is clear that a major concern of students and parents (as well as policymakers) is the growing level of debt being incurred to complete a four-year degree.

Here’s some good news from the UW.  Based on the most recent numbers:

52% of our undergraduates leave school with ZERO debt.  That’s right, ZERO debt.  Nationally, two-thirds of undergraduates leave school with college debt.

For the 48% with debt, UW average undergraduate debt loads are about $16,481, compared to the national average of $19,400.  That a difference of $3000 or 15% LOWER than the national average.

So while college requires a substantial investment by students, many UW grads are finidng their debt burden a little lighter than that of their peers.

Welcome back to Rep. Don Cox of Colfax (9th District) who was selected to replace the late Rep. Steve Hailey.  Rep. Cox is a familiar face in Olympia, having served in the House from 1999 to 2007.  His committee assignments are pending, but he may be appointed to the House Education Appropriations Committee among others.

Governor Gregoire’s proposed state stimulus package, which focuses on accelerating a number of “shovel-ready” construction projects, includes two UW facilities. (The descriptions below and cost estimates are taken from the Governor’s release).

In Seattle, the Governor includes the Molecular Engineering Building. This new facility will provide a modern learning and research environment to support interdisciplinary teaching and research in molecular engineering and related disciplines. This new building will enable students, faculty and researchers to utilize state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories. The new building will include approximately 100,000 square feet of vibration-free program space. About half of the building is envisioned to be fitted with wet laboratory space with the remaining space dedicated to dry laboratories, office and support space. This building will help maintain and attract instructors and students to keep the UW and the State of Washington at the forefront in the field of engineering and related research. $69,554,000

In Tacoma, the Governor includes “Phase III”, which will renovate the Joy Building and add a fourth floor to provide additional classroom and faculty office space to support expanded and new degree programs and will serve to transition the campus toward the new four- year curriculum. The project scope will include renovation of all major building components as well as an expanded footprint and the addition of a fourth story to provide a total of approximately 70,000 square feet of program space. The project will provide new capacity to accommodate at least 600 additional student FTEs. $34,000,000

You can find a link to the statewide list of projects here.

The goal of the plan is to focus on projects which can begin construction soon, boosting the construction sector.  Being included in the package is an important step toward seeing these projects move forward quickly.