Gov. Mike Leavitt unveiled his proposed budget for the state's higher education system Friday, calling it "both profound and historic" for the huge increases in spending it proposes.
The governor made his presentation to the state Board of Regents, who were meeting at the University of Utah.
Leavitt proposes to increase the budget for the state's colleges and universities by 12.6 percent — the most ever, according to regents Chairman Charles Johnson.
"I apologize for not having any fireworks here, but we didn't know it would be quite this good," Johnson said.
The governor's budget calls for an increase of $71.7 million in new programming funds, as well as a $102 million initiative that would dramatically increase the number of students in technology-related fields. Leavitt wants to double the number of engineering, computer science and other technology students in five years, and triple it in eight.
He called the $102 million "as important an initiative as I have ever taken." It would fuel more technology-related employment in the state, something Leavitt believes is vital to maintaining Utah's strong economy.
"This is the iron link that will (connect) high quality of life and economic prosperity in the 21st century," he said.
Higher education officials were falling all over themselves Friday to praise the governor's budget. Weber State University President Paul Thompson called it "impressive." Utah Valley State College President Kerry Romesburg called it "incredible." And Commissioner of Higher Education Cecelia Foxley pronounced herself "thrilled."
"Every year they say, 'This is the year for higher education,' and it isn't," she said. "Well, this is the year."
There are differences between the governor's budget
and the one being proposed by the regents, she said, but "my goodness — you can live with a few little differences when you're talking about these kinds of numbers."
Leavitt's proposal comes on the heels of news that he wants public schools — elementary, junior high and high schools — to receive at least 10 percent more state money than last year, the biggest recommended public education budget increase in memory.
"The two of these together (higher education and public education) will be the foundation of our economic growth," he said. "I'm not sure we'll do this well every year, but we have the capacity now."
Indeed, financially, the state is doing extremely well. Lawmakers could have more than $500 million in new revenue in a $7 billion budget to tinker with in the 2001 session. Only one other time in the 1990s did legislators have that kind of new money to spend, House Majority Leader Kevin Garn has said.
It remains to be seen how the Legislature will react to Leavitt's proposals, but it's quite possible it will look more favorably on higher education than public education. Senate President-elect Al Mansell, R-Sandy, said the Legislature plans to "make a real solid" financial commitment to education, but added that the state's public education teachers union, the Utah Education Association, might have damaged its case by its one-day walkout Tuesday.
Higher education types, in contrast, have been relatively quiet.
Specifically, Leavitt's $102 million initiative to increase technology students includes $92 million to build five new buildings at the University of Utah, Utah State University, the Davis County campus of Weber State University, Utah Valley State College and College of Eastern Utah. About $800,000 will go toward a new program that rewards graduates who stay in Utah at least four years by forgiving part of their student loans, $4 million will go toward student equipment and $5 million toward additional funding.
The budget includes $24 million for new enrollment. Utah's higher education student population has risen 4.9 percent (4,368 students) since last year.
E-MAIL: alan@desnews.com