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News Release
Board of Governors for Higher Education |
Contact: Connie Fraser
(860)947-1801 |
Board of Governors to Take Up College Budgets Thursday
HARTFORD, Oct. 30 - Holding down public college
expenditures to help the state stay below its constitutional spending cap is the
goal of the Board of Governors for Higher Education as it decides on budget
proposals for the next two fiscal years.
The Board of Governors will meet via teleconference on Thursday,
November 2 at 9:30 am at its Hartford offices to consider a proposed $1.5
billion operating budget and $413.6 million worth of capital requests for
2001-2003 for the University of Connecticut and its Health Center, Connecticut
State University, the Community Colleges, Charter Oak State College and the
Department of Higher Education.
The proposed operating budget supports current services but no permanent
expansion of base budgets. It does recommend, however, a short-term investment
of $37 million from state surplus funds for the following new initiatives:
- an $11.2 million Performance-Linked Investment Strategy to support
workforce-related budget options. This sum is equal to one percent of
higher education’s budget for each fiscal year.
- up to $5 million to address administrative and teacher shortages,
particularly in math, science, bilingual education and world languages by,
among other means, expanding the state’s two alternative route to
teacher certification programs.
- $4 million to match federal support for college scholarships under the
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs or GEAR
UP program.
- $2 million to begin a Higher Education Asset Protection Program to keep
new campus buildings in prime condition.
- other one-time funding strategies such as an Energy Contingency Fund to
address unanticipated hikes in fuel and utility costs, and educational
equipment purchases of up to $15 million which are currently financed by
student tuitions.
The Board of Governors’ final budget recommendations will sent to Governor
Rowland and the General Assembly for action next year. Members of the Board of
Governors are: Albert B. Vertefeuille of Lebanon, Chair; Harry H. Penner, Jr.,
of Guilford, Vice-Chair; James H. Bates, Lakeville; William A. Bevacqua,
Trumbull; Dorothea E. Brennan, Fairfield; Leonard S. Cohen, West Hartford; Lile
R. Gibbons, Greenwich; Joan R. Kemler, West Hartford; Dorothy B. Leib, New
London; Alice V. Meyer, Easton; and Patricia McCann Vissepó, New Haven.
Contact: Connie Fraser
(860)947-1801
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