REGENTS A Publication of the Montana University System Board of Regents

Volume I • Issue 2 September 2002

M O N T A N A U N I V E R S I T Y S Y S T E M

Actions and Initiatives

Board of Regents Meeting • The University of Montana
September 19 and 20, 2002

The Regents pass a fiscal year 2003 budget for the
Montana University System that reflects a $12.4 million
dollar reduction in state aid. Temporary tuition increases
will raise $5.3 million. The remaining $7 million in cuts
will come from tapping reserve funds, delaying purchases
and leaving jobs open. The average tuition surcharge for
a full-time student will be $45 this fall, $148 this spring
for a combined total annual average tuition surcharge
of $193.

The Regents enact a policy requiring future proposals
for changes in tuition to include an alternative budget
reduction plan.

The Regents approve the first University System/Employee
Joint Venture. This venture is the first approved under
House Bill 349 passed during the last Legislative Session.
The bill allows a university employee to hold an equity
position in a business if it is utilizing intellectual property
developed by the employee.

The Regents delay legal action on administrative
assessments that are levied against University System
land grant proceeds and permanent fund income while
negotiations with the governor’s office and state agency
officials continue.

Message from the Chair

The board considered budget issues at
our September meeting and responded to
reduced state appropriations by
approving modified FY2003 operating
budgets for each of our campuses.
Our primary concern was to ensure the
continued high quality of our academic programs
and the value to our students of the degrees we
award them. Recognizing that the quality of our
activities is directly related to retaining high quality
administrators as well as faculty, we approved a four
percent average raise for our administrative staff. These
raises are consistent with the raises provided all other
state employees through the pay plan approved by the
2001 Legislature.

We recognized that the limit to in-state tuition is
affordable access for Montana citizens, and are refining
a board policy to reflect this. As the state’s share of the
cost of education has steadily declined, particularly in
the past 10 years, that portion covered by tuition has
continued to rise. Understanding the limited resources
available to the state, we increased our efforts to
aggressively search for new and more stable funding
sources to relieve our reliance on tuition to cover the
increases in the cost of education. We are committed
to student success by providing quality higher education
that is accessible to Montana students. We are actively
working with Legislative committees to ensure
accountability and a common understanding that funding
higher education represents an investment in the future,
not a drain on resources. In carrying out our
responsibilities, we will seek to diversify the
revenue streams and build active
partnerships with other government
entities and the private sector.

Publication Notes
Richard Roehm
Chairman

NOTE: A copy of this newsletter, the complete agenda
and minutes for the Regents‘ meeting are available at

Montana University System Current Unrestricted Funds
Educational Units FY 2003 Budgeted Expenditures

(Please visit http//www.montana.edu/wwwbor to view the charts and graphs- Russ)

This publication is intended to provide a brief
overview of the bimonthly meetings of the Board
of Regents. Alternative formats are available upon
request. Comments or requests for subscriptions to
this newsletter may be directed to:
Mary Craigle – Montana University System
2500 Broadway
P.O. Box 203101
Helena, MT 59620-3101
(406) 444-6570
or by emailing
[email protected]