Budget approvals top agenda for state Board of Regents

Carolyn Kapaska
July 21, 1997

A final approval of the budget for the fiscal year of 1998 will be made at the Board of Regents meeting on July 22 and 23 at Iowa State.

“The numbers haven’t really changed since the last meeting,” said John McCarroll, ISU director of university relations. “The budget is already in effect, but the board must finalize the numbers.”

The fiscal year 1997-98 budget for all funds at ISU is $664.8 million. About $318.5 million represents the restricted-funds budget and $346.4 million is for the general fund-budget.

The meeting’s docket said the 1998 budget increased 1.8 percent from the 1997 revised budget. The budget’s increased total reached $12 million.

ISU’s budget increase was significantly lower than the budget increases of the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa. UNI’s 1998 budget was raised 9 percent from 1997 and U of I’s budget increased by 3.6 percent.

A large portion of the U of I’s budget goes toward the College of Medicine.

The docket said ISU’s 1998 direct state appropriations of $239 million has also increased $11.9 million, or 5.2 percent, over the revised 1997 state appropriations budget.

The ISU fiscal year of 1998 budget was developed based on the board’s and university’s approved strategic plans, the Board’s fiscal year 1998 appropriation request to Gov. Branstad and General Assembly, the actions of the governor and the General Assembly, the Department of Management salary allocations and internal allocations.

Prior to the finalization of the budgets, Stan Johnson, vice provost of extension, will be speaking to the Board of Regents about ISU’s response to the Pappas Report on Extension.

“He will make comments to the board about possible extension of the future,” McCarroll said.

President Martin Jischke said two years ago, the regents hired the Pappas Consulting Group to look at ISU in the environment of extension.

“They suggested a careful review on extension,” he said.

Jischke said Johnson has done just that. Both Johnson and Jischke will provide the Board of Regents with the final response to the Pappas recommendations on the Extension Service today.

The actual report to the regents will discuss the changing environment in which extension has done, the restructuring of extension, the extension’s program areas and activities, the resources which serve Iowa and the extension’s connection with Iowa and its future.

Jischke said he is happy to have the Board of Regents meeting at ISU.

“I am looking forward to the meeting,” he said.

The meeting convenes at 1 p.m. in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union but will be closed to the public at 1:05 for an executive session. The meeting will reconvene at about 2:15 in open session.