The two-year operating budget proposal released today by Gov. Jay Inslee partially funds WSU’s $14.4 million request to fund operations of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and would provide for small compensation increases for faculty and non-classified staff over the course of the biennium.
Notably, it also included foundational funding and other enhancements allowing the university to address key priorities.
The governor also released a capital budget proposal that funds construction of the Global Animal Health II project in Pullman and a new academic building in the Tri-Cities, while also advancing design and pre-design projects at WSU Vancouver and WSU Spokane, among other priorities.
The governor’s proposals are the first among a set of three that will set the table for final budget negotiations in April. The Legislature convenes in January to begin drafting its versions. Both the House and Senate will produce operating and capital budget proposals before negotiating a compromise to send to the governor.
For WSU, the operating budget proposal included the following:
- $10.8 million for the medical school to complete funding for cohorts of 60 third and fourth year medical student slots. The university is also requesting an additional $3.6 million to fund the first and second year of a 20-seat expansion.
- $15.4 million for compensation for faculty and non-represented staff. WSU is requesting $38.4 million to fund two increases of 4 percent each.
- $2.8 million for a soil health research initiative.
The operating budget proposal also includes funding for the State Need Grant, changing the name to the College Promise Scholarship, in an attempt to have it fully funded to serve more than 93,000 students by 2022. Also included were investments to support expanded career connected learning opportunities for students.
The governor’s capital budget proposal included the following.
- Full funding of WSU’s $36.4 million request to complete construction funding for Global Animal Health II in Pullman, the new home of the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab.
- Full funding of WSU’s $27 million request to build a new Academic Building at WSU Tri-Cities
- Full funding of WSU’s $4 million request for design of a new Life Sciences Building at WSU Vancouver
- Full funding of WSU’s $500,000 request for predesign of a new Health Sciences Building at WSU Spokane.