University News
President's FY2007 Budget Letter
June 5, 2006
Dear Campus Community,
As you are already aware, the Governor recently signed the FY07 budget which provides a 1.5 percent increase in state funding support for Western Illinois University for the 2006-2007 fiscal year and a special grant award of $1 million for the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) at Western to promote the advancement of corn to fuel alcohol and value added co-products.
We are pleased that the Governor and Legislature approved a budget that provides increased state support for Western. Earlier this year, we received $4 million in planning funds for the Performing Arts Center project on the Macomb campus and $2.3 million in planning dollars for the Western Quad Cities Riverfront campus. We look forward to the state approving a capital funding plan at a future date that would enable the construction of these two high priority projects.
Our financial priorities for FY07 remain much the same as previous years. We will continue to support the strategic plan by funding our instructional programs and salary increases. In support of our commitment to employee salaries we will award a 4.5 percent pay increase to our non-negotiated employees, effective at the start of the fiscal year. We will work within the frameworks of our collective bargaining contracts to provide increases reflective of additional state resources in accordance with their respective agreements.
While we received an increase from the state, we will continue the responsible fiscal practice of maintaining a reserve fund for emergencies such as the Stipes Hall exterior repairs required this past spring. Should we avoid unexpected emergencies prior to the conclusion of FY2007; we will allocate funds for top priorities identified by each vice presidential area as we have done in years past.
Again, I am very thankful for the budgetary support we received from all of our legislators and from the Governors office. I look forward to us making continued progress on our strategic plan in Macomb and the Quad Cities. And as always, I appreciate all of the support I have received from the campus community during these challenging budgetary times.
Sincerely,
Al Goldfarb, President
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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