Iowa State is tentatively planning for faculty and staff salary increases, despite the Iowa Legislature’s vote last week against tax increases that would have provided regent universities money for such a move.

According to regent documents, Iowa State is planning for an increase between 1.5 and 2 percent for faculty, staff and graduate assistants.

The money to fund the increases will come from the university’s general fund budget, which comes from state and federal allocations and tuition and fees, said Mark Chidister, assistant to the president for budget planning and analysis.

The possibility of a salary increase from the general budget fund was realized only after the university learned there would not be another cut in operating appropriations from the state, Chidister said.

The Board of Regents had named full funding of salaries as its highest priority in its fiscal-year 2005 budget requests.

Faculty salary increases were placed in jeopardy after Governor Tom Vilsack declined to submit a salary request to the General Assembly.

In January, however, Vilsack proposed a tax increase to fund education and health care initiatives, including a proposed $30 million for regent universities. Iowa State officials pledged to use the money to fund faculty salary increases.

Last week, state legislators voted overwhelmingly against the tax increase.

“We knew that [not providing funding] was a possibility, but it’s a very disappointing one,” Chidister said.

Chidister said it’s rare for the state to not provide universities with some sort of appropriation for compensation increases.

“While in the past as they haven’t provided as much as been needed, to provide none is a precedent that is difficult to live with,” he said.

During February’s Board of Regents meeting, ISU President Gregory Geoffroy said Iowa State’s faculty salaries are ranked last in the university’s peer group.

Chidister said low faculty and staff salaries is a problem that needs to be corrected.

“The foundation of a good university is the quality of its faculty and staff,” Chidister said.

The university was also required by law to provide salary increases for several merit employees, which can include custodians, maintenance workers, secretaries and others, whose contracts are negotiated by the state.

However, drawing money from the general fund is not something the university can continue to do, Chidister said.

“There are negatives right now,” he said. “The fact that you’re taking away from other programs and other areas from the university to support a compensation increase [can cause problems].”

The Board of Regents will discuss faculty salary increases and other budget-related issues at their meeting Wednesday in Vinton.