The University of Houston System (UHS) Board of Regents approved a $1.5 billion budget for fiscal year (FY) 2013. The action was made during the board’s quarterly meeting Wednesday.
The FY2013 budget reflects a 10 percent increase from FY2012 and will go into effect on Sept. 1. Included in the budget is an additional $80 million for capital projects and an increase of $57 million in operating expenditures. These increases address continued growth at all System universities. In the past five years, UHS universities have added 31 new degree programs and two new instructional sites. During this period, System enrollment increased by 13 percent and residential population on UHS campuses grew by 66 percent.
“I’m extremely excited that the board has allocated significant resources toward student success initiatives,” said Cedric Bandoh, UH sophomore and president of the university’s Student Government Association. “The UH System continues to move in the right direction by delivering more degree programs and expanding its commitment toward students.”
The UH System consists of four universities: the University of Houston (UH), UH-Clear Lake (UHCL), UH-Downtown (UHD) and UH-Victoria (UHV). It also includes three branch campuses: UHCL Pearland, UHS-Northwest and UH Sugar Land. Additionally, the system has one multi-institutional teaching center, UHS Cinco Ranch.
Broken down by university, the FY2013 budget is as follows:
- UH - $1.1 billion: The budget provides an additional $17 million for student success initiatives including financial aid, faculty retention, library maintenance, expanded instructional resources and a major addition and renovation to the University Center. It also allocates an extra $15 million to bolster UH’s national competitiveness as a Tier One research institution through the addition of new faculty positions, investments in research facilities/labs and equipment purchases. The budget commits an additional $42 million toward enhancing the university’s infrastructure through new capital construction projects, new facilities and information technology upgrades to benefit UH’s growing enrollment. It also includes $4.3 million to be allocated toward a 3 percent merit-based pool for salary increases for staff and $4.7 million that will be devoted to a separate 3 percent merit-based pool for faculty salary increases.
- UHCL – $104 million: Budget priorities include an additional $4 million for student access and success initiatives including financial assistance, computer lab upgrades, student retention programs and library resources. The budget also will devote an additional $1.5 million toward academic and research goals including faculty computer upgrades, eBooks and eBook readers, and enhancements to the library’s collection of online resources such as electronic journals. It also commits an extra $3.4 million toward infrastructure enhancements such as improvements to UHCL facilities and information technology upgrades. UHCL also will commit $425,268 toward a 2.5 percent merit pool for one-time stipend awards for faculty and $429,862 toward a separate 2.5 percent merit pool for one-time stipend awards for staff.
- UHD - $152 million: UHD’s operating budget will increase by $7 million with $4 million being in the form of additional Pell Grant funds for eligible students. The remaining $3 million will be used for student success initiatives that enhance the classroom experience and focus on improving retention and graduation rates. UHD will commit $478,000 toward faculty recruitment and retention initiatives, and will also provide one-time, non-base merit stipends for eligible faculty. Approximately $800,000 will go toward administrative operations to include support for expanded on-line instruction, enhanced web capability, marketing/branding and campus safety. UHD staff will also be eligible for one-time, non-base merit stipends which, as with faculty, will be based on a pool equal to 2.5 percent of total salaries.
- UHV - $78 million: The budget provides an additional $350,269 toward the hiring of new faculty; an additional $396,000 toward retention, recruitment and graduation initiatives; an additional $1 million to support new academic programs; and an extra $800,000 to support the university’s downward expansion efforts. UHV also will commit $323,644 toward a 2.5 percent merit adjustment for faculty and $377,497 toward a 2.5 percent merit adjustment for staff salaries.
To view a summary of the FY2013 budget, visit http://www.uh.edu/af/budget/budgetFY13.htm.
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ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM
The University of Houston System is a comprehensive system of higher education institutions serving to further the intellectual capital and economic strength of the Gulf Coast region. The UH System includes the University of Houston, a nationally recognized Tier One public research university; the University of Houston-Downtown, a four-year undergraduate university expanding into graduate programs; the University of Houston-Victoria, a four-year university with undergraduate and master’s level degree programs; and the University of Houston- Clear Lake, an upper-division and master’s level institution. The system also includes three branch campuses, UH-Clear Lake Pearland, UH System - Northwest and UH Sugar Land, as well as a multi-institution teaching center, UH System Cinco Ranch. In addition, the System owns and operates KUHF-FM, Houston’s National Public Radio station; KUHA-FM, Houston’s 24-hour classical music station; and KUHT-TV, the nation’s first educational television station. To learn more about the UH System, visit http://www.uhsa.uh.edu/