Trustees approve Purdue's state funding request

July 18, 2014  


WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue trustees on Friday (July 18) approved the 2015-2017 legislative request for line items, which, among other items, includes funding for two new initiatives that support the university's Purdue Moves.

The two new line-item requests are for strategic growth in the College of Engineering and expansion of summer course offerings. Both requests are key components of Purdue Moves, a range of initiatives introduced by Purdue President Mitch Daniels to broaden the university's global impact and enhance educational opportunities for students.

The Board of Trustees also reviewed performance funding metrics prescribed by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, which will be used to determine the university's request for operating funds for the upcoming biennium. Actual operating appropriations will not be known until the 2015 legislative session has been completed.

The university's legislative request will be submitted to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education in September. After review, ICHE will then forward the request as a recommendation to the General Assembly for consideration during its legislative session.

"Our request includes two new line items that are directly tied to enhancing our educational, teaching and research capacity," said James Almond, Purdue senior vice president for business services and assistant treasurer. "Beyond those requests, we are seeking only a modest 3 percent inflationary increase for the other recurring line items, all of which are in strategic areas that provide tremendous benefit to people throughout the state."

Purdue is requesting $5 million to support summer expansion in order to increase summer course offerings and provide students additional flexibility to incorporate internships, study abroad and undergraduate research into their Purdue experience, both during the summer and the academic year. The requested recurring line item would help enhance this student-focused initiative with funds supporting summer financial aid, facilitating student employment opportunities, and expanding and enhancing summer programming.

Purdue is requesting $6 million as part of a recurring line item to partially support the hiring of additional engineering faculty in the 2015-2017 biennium. In April 2012, the College of Engineering began a plan to grow student enrollment and the number of faculty, which would make it one of the nation's largest colleges of engineering. The growth plan is tied to a national call to graduate 10,000 more engineers per year in order to increase the state and national capacity for innovation, economic development and job creation. The strategic growth initiative has already helped enhance the college's reputation, making the university even more competitive, both in attracting top-quality students and faculty and in competing for research funds. The state's funds will be leveraged through university dollars and external funding.

The university also is requesting 3 percent inflationary increases for its recurring line items. These requests include:

Statewide Technology. The Purdue College of Technology's statewide educational delivery system is a partnership among regional/community education, industry and government. Formally created in 1983, Statewide Technology helps meet the state's needs for trained technologists and technicians and provides a method of updating those currently employed in state-of-the-art technology and practices. The system also helps meet the needs of recent high school graduates who can't attend the West Lafayette or regional campuses. Funding requested: $6.9 million, up $202,000.

Agricultural Research and Extension (Crossroads). This supports applied research and education for problems and emerging issues specific to Indiana agriculture. Crossroads, an investment in the College of Agriculture begun in 1991, has helped position the college as a national leader in agricultural sciences and bolstered the college's support for the state's agriculture and agricultural sciences industries. Funding requested: $8.75 million, up $256,000.

County Extension educators. Extension educators provide Hoosiers with unbiased research-based knowledge. Because educators are located in every Indiana county, this information is rapidly delivered to communities in a timely, relevant and valuable way. Funding requested: $7.7 million, up $226,000.

Technical Assistance Program (TAP). The program was established in 1986 with the mission of advancing the state's economic prosperity, health and quality of life. Funding requested: $2 million, up $58,000.

Indiana Next Generation Manufacturing Competitiveness (IN-Mac). A partnership among the educational institutions of Purdue, Ivy Tech and Vincennes, IN-Mac is a resource to attract, retain and grow high-value manufacturing industries in the state. The center acts as a statewide resource for businesses and industries relying on access to current knowledge and practice in manufacturing processes, metrology, materials, systems and information sciences. Funding requested: $2.6 million, up $76,000.

Center for Paralysis Research. Founded in 1987 and based in the College of Veterinary Medicine, the center has been engaged in discoveries in the area of traumatic neurological injury and subsequent treatment. Funding requested: $538,000, up $16,000.

Trustees also approved the state budget funding request from the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL). In order to meet the state's needs and client service expectations, and to ensure timeliness of service, cross training, development of new tests and to provide needed surge capacity, the lab is requesting funds for additional staffing in the 2015-2017 biennium. This request reflects a need for investment after a reduction of 12 positions since 1999 and follows funding for state-of-the-art instruments in the current biennium.

The ADDL total budget request is $4 million in the first year of the biennium and $4.1 million in the second. The ADDL at Purdue, established in 1945, operates under the aegis of the State Board of Animal Health. The lab's mission is to aid in the prevention, control and eradication of animal diseases; provide diagnostic services; and work with local, state, federal and international partners to improve animal health. 

Writer: Brian Zink, 765-404-2080, bzink@purdue.edu 

Source: James Almond, 765-494-9706, jsalmond@purdue.edu

Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-4600

© 2014-18 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Integrity Statement | Copyright Complaints | Brand Toolkit | Maintained by Marketing and Media

Trouble with this page? Disability-related accessibility issue? Please contact us at online@purdue.edu so we can help.