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The Daily Illini
Monday September 17, 2012
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The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
Vol. 142 Issue 16
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BOARD OF TRUSTEES
UI budget sees increase across all 3 campuses since last year University owed $325 million from state, official says BY LAUREN ROHR STAFF WRITER
The University’s board of trustees approved a $5.4 billion budget for the 2013 fiscal year at its meeting Friday. The overall budget for all three campuses has increased 7.6 percent since fiscal year 2012. Despite the $155.6 million, or 3.7 percent, rise in the dayto-day operating budget for the 2013 fiscal year, which began July 1, Walter Knorr, vice president and chief financial officer, said the state still owes the University $325 million. About $187 million of that is unpaid from the 2012 fiscal year. The state’s appropriation is at $667 million, a 6 percent decrease from last year’s appropriation. For background information on the new budget, David Merriman, associate director of the University’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs, presented a fiscal overview of the state’s financial situation at the meeting. He concluded that revenue “will not grow much” in the 2013 fiscal year, and although the state’s economic conditions are slowly improving, it will not be enough to improve unemployment in Illinois. Knorr said the board is working to take action in response to the “significantly delayed” state payments. Trustees approved an increase in undergradu-
ate tuition in January as well as a salary increase of just 2.5 percent. “We’re continuing to deal with the uncertainty of the state situation,” Knorr said. However, the University’s payments for employee pension and health care benefits controlled by the state, or payments-on-behalf, are expected to rise $227.6 million, a 28.7 percent increase from last year. Excluding the payments-onbehalf, the day-to-day operating budget rose to about $4.4 billion. Restricted funds, which include research grants and hospital and medical service plan revenues, increased 5.1 percent. Revenue from unrestricted funds, which are mainly tuition and institutional funds, rose 2 percent since last year. These funds comprise about 46 percent of the operating budget. Knorr said this is the “core academic budget” for the University. In addition, about $813 million in total sponsored research will be available for the 2013 fiscal year. Sponsored projects include the $62.3 million for hospital operations and medical services. Trustees also approved the University’s request for $749 million in state operating funds for the 2014 fiscal year. According to a University release, the request is the first step in the annual budget process. It will be submitted to the state and the Illinois Board of Higher Education for consideration.
Lauren can be reached at rohr2@ dailyillini.com.
CLAIRE EVERETT THE DAILY ILLINI
Dan Kopolow, Urbana resident, center, signs a petition to get labeling for genetically modified food while talking to with Linda Qiu, sophomore in LAS and campaign volunteer, right, on Saturday morning at the Lincoln Square Mall farmers market.
Nonprofit wants food labels Food and Water Watch petitions for greater transparency with genetically modified foods BY CLAIRE EVERETT STAFF WRITER
The nonprofit Food and Water Watch has chosen ChampaignUrbana as its main campaign site in Illinois as they push for the labeling of genetically modified food. The campaign launched in Champaign-Urbana three weeks ago led by field organizer Hanna Saltzman. Its goal is to get 1,000 signatures from community mem-
bers in the next two months and deliver them to state Sen. Michael Frerichs, D-52, who chairs the state senate’s agriculture and conservation committee. “I want to live in a world where I can walk down the grocery aisle and know whether my sweet corn was grown naturally or whether its DNA was engineered in a laboratory,” Saltzman said. “I envision a world where my food comes from a farm where the farmer
‘Combination of trends is not sustainable,’ according to UI official BY AIXIN LI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
MELISSA MCCABE THE DAILY ILLINI
Comedian Gabriel Iglesias performs at Assembly Hall on Saturday night as part of the Gabriel Iglesias Presents: Stand-Up Revolution Tour. Iglesias is known for his comedy shows on Comedy Central.
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senior in ACES, do not think it is necessary to label genetically modified foods. VerLee said organic foods are the only ones that need a label. “Pretty much everything that is not organic is genetically modified,” VerLee said. “I don’t think it’s necessary to put a label on every box of food.” One of the main concerns companies have with labeling is that it will deter customers from purchasing a product because of the negative connotations associated with genetically modified foods.
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Research, enrollment up despite faculty decrease
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didn’t have to choose between making a profit and growing natural food.” Saltzman and student volunteers collected 162 signatures after petitioning in front of the farmers market at Lincoln Square Mall on Saturday. This brings their total to more than 500 signatures within the last three weeks. Linda Qiu, campaign volunteer and sophomore in LAS, said she thinks labeling is important, even when it comes to organic food. “I think labeling will be the first step to moving away from having mass-produced food,” Qiu said. But others, like Kevin VerLee,
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A statistical analysis of University data showed an unexpected result last week — the number of faculty members is decreasing, but the amount of research has been increasing. Christophe Pierre, vice president for academic affairs , told the Academic and Student Affairs Committee that the number of faculty has decreased significantly while research productivity, student enrollment and student interest in attending the University have all increased significantly. And even though the University had less manpower to lend to technological research and development, the federal research expenditure grew by 44 percent in 2011, meaning more research had been conducted in comparison to 2010.
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Trustee Karen Hasara asked Pierre if these numbers were a good sign for the university system. Pierre said he had the same doubt. “This combination of trends is not sustainable; it’s working well right now, but at some point it will collapse,” he said. The committee also discussed the importance of recruitment and retention. University statistics for all three campuses showed that the net faculty number has decreased significantly over the years. In 2011, nearly 100 new faculty members were recruited but almost 200 members either retired or resigned. The student enrollment rate, however, continues to increase. The enrollment rate in 2011 increased by more than 26 percent at the Urbana and the Chicago campus from the rate in 2010. “Quality faculty and quality students are the backbone of the University. Academic excellence is our chief prior-
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ity,” Pierre said. “We want to recruit the best and support their needs.” In addition to analyzing university statistics, the Student Affairs Office presented the board of trustees with 2012 diversity programs. The six culture centers at the University have been “giving students a home away from home,” said Renee Romano, vice chancellor of student affairs. Romano said that a few years ago, someone drew stick fi gures of Muhammad on the Quad. Later, many Muslim students expressed great concern about the drawings. The Student Affairs investigation group looked into that incident and created the “Tolerance Program,” which encourages students to respond to acts of intolerance on the campus. The Academic and Student Affairs Committe will meet again Nov. 7 in Springfield .
Aixin can be reached at news@ dailyillini.com.
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