Board of Regents approve OSU budget for FY 2011
Friday, June 18, 2010
New budget enables OSU to maintain and enhance high-priority education, research,
outreach programs
The Oklahoma State University/A&M Board of Regents today approved an operating budget
that will allow the OSU System to effectively fulfill its land-grant mission of education,
research and outreach through its five campuses and statewide operations.
The total FY 2011 budget is $1.016 billion and includes state allocations totaling
$249.9 million, a decrease of $4.5 million, or 1.77 percent from the current year
budget.
“Like many states, Oklahoma has faced significant budgetary challenges this past year.”
said OSU/A&M Board of Regents Chair Calvin Anthony. “We certainly respect how the
Governor and legislative leaders fashioned a budget to minimize the impact of reduced
state revenues on higher education.
“The overall budget will allow Oklahoma State to maintain and enhance some high-priority
academic and research programs,” Anthony said. “Moreover, the budget will enable us
to keep tuition increases to a minimum as part of our desire as Regents to make a
quality higher education accessible to as many students as possible.”
OSU President Burns Hargis said, “State leaders faced difficult budget decisions and
we applaud their continued commitment to higher education. This budget provides OSU
the resources to serve more than 33,000 students, conduct life-changing research and
offer our expertise to the citizens of Oklahoma. We are committed to exercising fiscal
discipline in order to focus our precious resources on our core activities of teaching,
research, scholarship and outreach.”
After no increase a year ago, tuition and mandatory fees will increase 4.4 percent
for in-state OSU undergraduate students. Even with a tuition increase, the budget
will not allow for a salary increase for OSU employees.
“We do not take tuition and compensation decisions lightly, and today’s challenging
economic conditions make those decisions even tougher,” said Hargis. “In order to
continue to offer students the education, services and support that will properly
prepare them for success, the increase in tuition and mandatory fees was necessary.”
Hargis said the university, like other agencies and employers across the state, regretted
being unable to provide pay increases to employees. “Our regents and administration
appreciate our faculty and staff employees for their hard work and their dedication
to their jobs, our students and the university,” he said.
Under this budget, an undergraduate student who is a resident of Oklahoma would pay
$225.95 per credit hour beginning in the fall of 2010, an increase of $9.50. Despite
this year’s tuition and mandatory fee increase, OSU remains one of the best buys in
higher education in the country. In fact, the cost for in-state students is less
at OSU than any other school in the Big 12.
OSU has taken many steps to curtail costs in the face of current economic challenges.
Hargis praised OSU’s energy conservation program that is saving millions of dollars
each year. In fact, the initiative with Energy Education has enabled the university
to open five new buildings on the Stillwater campus without increasing the overall
maintenance and operation budget. The new buildings are the North Classroom Building,
the Multimodal Facility, Murray Hall, Old Central and the Henry Bellmon Research Center.
The OSU budget must now receive approval from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education. If approved, it will take effect July 1.
Other June 2010 Board Actions:
Personnel
Promotions