OKOBOJI — If its budget is approved, Iowa State University will be receiving 4.4 percent more money than last year from the state Board of Regents.

The budget, which was presented at the Board of Regents meeting held June 18-19 at the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, allocated the university more than $346 million.

This amount is primarily a mixture of appropriations for salaries ($9.8 million), program initiatives, ($2.1 million), and projected tuition revenues ($2.4 million).

The final budget will be approved at next month’s meeting.

Of the money that Iowa State is scheduled to receive, almost $239 million is coming from direct state appropriations, an increase of 5.2 percent over last year.

Salaries for continuing faculty, professional and scientific staff and graduate assistants are expected to increase 4 percent university-wide. About $9.8 million of these increases are to be funded by direct state appropriations.

One of the salaries which will be increasing, if the budget is approved, is President Martin Jischke’s.

Jischke would receive $205,920 next year, 4 percent more than this fiscal year, when he received $198,000.

About $272.3 million of the total budget is to be appropriated to the “general university” fund, $37.7 million is for the agriculture experiment station, $28.8 million is earmarked for cooperative extension, $4.4 million is for the Institute for Physical Research and Technology, and the remaining $3.1 million is for “special purpose” use.

In other business:

*The board approved a plan to restructure the College of Veterinary Medicine. The new plan will combine the departments of veterinary anatomy and veterinary physiology and pharmacology into a new Department of Biomedical Sciences. It will also combine the production animal medicine and services section of the departments of veterinary clinical sciences, veterinary extension, and the veterinary diagnostic laboratory into the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine.

Richard Ross, dean of the vet med college, said that the changes “will make us more competitive nationally.” The new, larger departments, besides becoming easier to manage, have the possibility of greater stature throughout the campus, nation, and world, Ross said.

Jischke said that the changes “will strengthen the college by bringing together faculty, staff, and students with common and complimentary interests.”

*The board discussed the number of students at the three regent universities who participate in study-abroad programs. More than 1,500 students from the three schools studied abroad during the 1995-96 fiscal year. Iowa State had 140 agreements with institutions in 50 nations during that time. Of those agreements, 65 were “active,” meaning that faculty, staff or students actually traveled to the country.

ISU has the most agreements with Russian institutions (18). Australia and the Ukraine were second, with eight agreements each. England, Mexico, and China each have seven agreements with ISU.

While the entire board was enthusiastic about the increasing numbers of students studying abroad, Regent Nancy Pellett, of Atlantic, said that she would “like to get to the point where students are studying abroad in their programs as part of their graduation requirements.”

*The board agreed to continue the advertising major, even though the actual numbers of students enrolled was smaller than originally projected.

*The board approved the beginning of a master of science in agronomy. The program, geared towards people already employed in the field of agronomy who wish to further their education to advance in their jobs, will be taught using multimedia technology, including interactive courseware.

*The board agreed to discontinue the master of engineering program in industrial engineering.

The next Board of Regents meeting is scheduled for July 22-23 at the Memorial Union on the ISU campus.

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FY97 And Preliminary FY98 Budgets By Source Of Revenue

General Original Preliminary

Fund Revenues FY97 Budget FY98 Budget

State Appropriations $227,633,427* $239,642,028*

Tution and Fees 78,579,708 83,982,067

Reimb. Indirect Cost 7,733,482 8,300,000

Interest 1,151,000 975,000

Federal Support 11,999,235 11,999,235

Sales and Services 215,000 215,000

Other Income 1,268,000 1,268,000

Subtotal $328,579,852 $346,381,330

*Includes supplemental salaries and Animal Odor Control funds.