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IU President Myles Brand comments on state budget
April 30, 2001
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The following is a statement by Indiana University President Myles Brand on the state budget approved Sunday (April 29) by the Indiana General Assembly:
"Under the circumstances, we are pleased with the proposed state budget for higher education and Indiana University, in particular. We are glad to see start-up funding for the new School of Informatics and bonding authority for several critical building projects.
"Governor Frank O'Bannon, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman B. Patrick Bauer and Senate Minority Fiscal Leader Sen. Vi Simpson deserve special thanks for their leadership to secure funding for higher education. We are also grateful to the Republican budget conferees Sen. Robert Meeks and Rep. Jeff Espich, without whose work we now would be facing far more dire circumstances. And, of course, state representatives Mark Kruzan and Peggy Welch deserve recognition for their continued strong support of funding for higher education.
"This budget, while appreciated for the help it will provide, still carries with it serious challenges. For example, the increase in the operating budget for the Bloomington campus is below what is needed -- about one-half the anticipated rise of the consumer price index (when funding for the School of Informatics is factored out). This budget will not enable us to meet competitive faculty salary demands, which will affect our ability to attract and retain top-notch faculty, students and staff.
"The challenge for our state is to diversify the economy so that, as we move forward in the future, we can weather downturns such as the one that produced this budget. IU's new School of Informatics can play a role in that diversification, as will the 21st Century Fund, which saw renewed funding. The role of the research universities in ensuring a sound economic future for Indiana cannot be over-estimated."
(Susan Dillman, 812-855-0850 or pager 812-334-6377, sdillman@indiana.edu)