From President Shepard: Update on the state budgets

Western Washington University President Bruce Shepard sent the following message to the WWU community Friday, March 27, to apprise them of updates to the state operating and capital budgets:

Colleagues:

Several hours ago, the Washington House released both their proposed Operating Budget and proposed Capital Budget.  Our dedicated Western budget gurus have been hard at work discerning the implications of the proposals for Western.

First please understand: as we dig into budget footnotes and such, our estimates of effects for Western become more refined.  This takes days.  Trusting you realize this is an initial cut at a complex subject, I want you to know whatever we know from the get go.

We have updated a table that, until now, compared our operating budget request to the Governor`s Budget proposal.  We have now added a column that allow these both to be compared to what the House proposes. That table can be found here.

The House proposal addresses problematic effects of the approach the Governor found necessary. Specifically, the House, while thankfully freezing tuition, also funds that freeze.  It does so by funding compensation increases that had been previously agreed to at the state level and that must be paid but that were left largely unfunded in the earlier proposal.  The House proposal also adds funding for our top priority "Student Success" proposal and to expand Cybersecurity programing through our partnership on the Kitsap Peninsula.  Overall, the House approach, I believe, allows continued affordable access to Western`s quality while sustaining our "top of class" time to degree.

On the capital side, the news is also positive.  Just as Governor Inslee chose to do, the proposal to address serious seismic safety issues with Carver and to expand and improve the academic spaces in Carver is included in the House Capital Budget proposal.  This is a major step forward on a project and a need that has been a necessarily high Western priority for a decade or more.  The project is not fully funded, though, under the House approach and as was also the case with the Governor`s proposal.  So, we need to continue to make the case for full funding of a facility that houses our fastest growing, medical science high demand academic programs.

A comparative analysis of the capital budget proposals is available here.

The Senate operating and capital budget proposals should be available in a week or two.  We believe that the Senate is strongly committed to funding affordable access to quality while also reinvesting in public higher education as the most powerful tool that the state has to build brighter futures for all.  Once those proposals are out, we will, as quickly as possible, update the comparative tables referenced above.

When it comes to applying Western`s considerable strengths to meeting the critical needs of Washington, we are in a better position this afternoon than we looked to be back in December.  For this, our elected leaders deserve our emphatic and genuine "thanks."

Thanks to you, as well. The substantial progress to date has been the result of relentless efforts and clear strategic thinking on the part of students, faculty, staff, unions, alumni, Trustees, Foundation and Alumni Board leaders, community supporters, and administration.  And, I am not bashful in claiming that those who are Western took a leadership position, time after time, as the session has progressed.

We have a ways yet to go. Senate budgets are next.   Those are likely to differ substantially from the House approach.  The two bodies will need to agree.  That will be an arduous and unpredictable process.  Consequently, we must not let up on our efforts to state the case for our capacity - if funded - to make a difference for Washington.

You have heard me, many times and during darker days, preach: "When things look bad, they never turn out that badly."  The corollary, perhaps more appropriate this afternoon: "when things look good, they never turn out that well."  When it comes to that corollary, it`s our shared task to prove me wrong.

Thank you for your continuing engagement and patience,

Bruce