Faculty and staff salaries and support for technology, libraries and graduate students are among the UNC system's preliminary budget priorities for the upcoming short session of the General Assembly.
The draft priority list, dubbed "Talking Points for Short Session," was unveiled at a Board of Governors budget workshop earlier this month. Board Chair Sam Neill said the priorities, developed in consultation with the chancellors, had not been adopted by the board yet, but comprised a consensus list of items that would help each campus.
Board Secretary Ben Ruffin said each of the nine operating budget items was an important component of a total package to maintain a strong university.
Although the board only can request salary increases for faculty and EPA non-faculty, Neill said it strongly supported increases for the system's SPA employees.
The priority called for a 5 percent increase for all EPA employees plus an additional 2 percent for faculty and EPA non-faculty who directly support teaching.
Under capital items, the board will push for a $12 million pool that the universities can use when land adjoining campuses comes on the market. The system currently has no state appropriations to meet this need for its campuses.
Also key, said Vice President D.G. Martin, is continuation of the repair and renovation fund. Last year, the legislature appropriated $57.5 million to the UNC system for upkeep of campus facilities and to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It is important that the legislature continues its commitment to fund infrastructure maintenance, Martin said, and that these funds come to the board without any specific projects designated.
Another point on the priority list is the need to maintain free access to the N.C. Research and Education Network and information network supercomputer operated by MCNC. The General Assembly has directed MCNC to plan for elimination of its state support. Without any state support, MCNC will have to charge for its services to the UNC system, Martin said.
Possible options available might be for the UNC system to purchase MCNC or to have it be transferred to the UNC system, he said.
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