The Idaho Legislature is looking to invest more dollars in higher education.
“I think for higher education and the University of Idaho, it’s extremely positive,” Bennett said. “Idaho’s economy is looking up compared to recent years, and it looks like our top priorities are going to be funded for the most part.”
Bennett said the university’s top priorities are CEC (Change in Employee Compensation) funding and Enrollment Workload Adjustment.
Bennett said CEC funding is important for employee retention, and in recent years employees have begun to look for work in other places. Bennett said UI faculty and staff have not received funding for several years.
“The governor proposed a temporary 3 percent increase, and you can call that a 3 percent bonus, really,” Bennett said. “Personally, I’m pretty certain it will be a lesser percent than 3 percent, but an ongoing (one).”
The increase would be a one-time increase to faculty and staff salaries that would last for one year, after which the state legislature would have to vote to renew it or salaries would be reduced back to their original rates.
“They don’t want to reduce faculty and staff salaries the following year because it will look like a cut, and no one wants to see that,” Bennett said. “I’m sure students have noticed that faculty and staff have left and I think a key reason for that is lack of funds.”
Bennett said in addition to CEC funding, legislators have shown concern for increasing tuition at all of Idaho’s higher education institutions.
“Though it’s highly doubtful anything will be done this year, I think in future years there’s going to be something done because tuition over the last decade has increased much faster than inflation,” Bennett said.
Bennett said he thinks the state board will look for ways to stop increasing tuition rates and make education more affordable for students seeking education in Idaho.
“Whether through scholarships or some sort of collaboration through the state board, something will be done. But it won’t be this year,” Bennett said.
Bennett said Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter proposed an 8.1 percent increase for education funding in Idaho.
“It’ll overall be a $17 million increase for the university,” Bennett said. “That isn’t what’s going to happen, that is the governor’s budget proposal, which is a recommendation, to the legislature. The legislature kind of gives a bucket of money to the State Board of Education, but there are some stipulations with that, like CEC and things like that.”
ASUI president Samantha Perez said she is glad to see the state legislature looking to invest in higher education.
“I just know the governor is proposing to reinvest dollars in higher education,” Perez said. “It’s just exciting to see new money being reinvested in the students.”