College and university officials have asked legislative leaders to equalize the cuts in the fiscal year (FY) 2009 education budget. The current budget proposal cuts four-year colleges and universities, on average, 12.97%. USA is cut 13.41% or $18.5 million. K-12's recommended cut is 2.8%, while the operations and maintenance budgets for two-year colleges are cut at 4.6%.

The budget will be before the House Education Appropriations Committee next Wednesday. The higher education community is not optimistic that the disproportionate share of the cuts being placed on the state's
public four-year institutions will be addressed adequately.

Four-year colleges and universities are being asked to absorb 46.6% ($185.8 million) of the $398.2 million in cuts proposed in the FY 09 Education Budget, while their total share of education funding is only 20%.

These cuts do not take into account the mandated increases Alabama public colleges and universities will be required to pay in Teacher Retirement contributions for employees and health insurance for retirees. Those costs are estimated to be $20.9 million. USA's share is estimated to be $3 million.

Alabama colleges and universities, on average, are funded at 76.5% of the Regional Standard (a measurement used by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to compare funding for Alabama colleges and universities to other Southeast states). USA is funded at only 70.5% of the Regional Standard, 6% below the state average and 29.5% below the regional.

Funding for higher education and K-12 in Alabama improved in FY 07 and FY 08. These gains helped K-12 and the two- and four-year institutions make up for poor funding over the past decade. The disproportionate share of cuts being recommended for Alabama's four-year colleges and universities takes that one segment of education back to FY 07 funding levels; a giant step backwards.

It would be helpful for our delegation in the House and Senate to hear from friends and acquaintances on the USA faculty and staff regarding this issue. They have heard from me and President Moulton, but additional reinforcement would be helpful. If you are willing to make such a contact, please respond to this email with the name of the Member you know. I will get back to you with the message; which could differ for each member.