VikThunder1
Active member
The increased funding for higher ed will indirectly help PSU athletics. Great to see this happen.
News: Major State Funding Initiative Supports PSU Students, Faculty, Construction
Author: David Santen, Office of University Communications (503-725-8789)
Posted: June 29, 2007
The Oregon state legislature has approved a budget for the 2007–2009 biennium that will begin to address Portland State University’s critical needs for capital improvements, as well as financial support for students and faculty.
Funds in the biennial budget address the significant backlog of deferred maintenance and needed upgrades to existing facilities, and will support new construction on campus. The budget increase also addresses the past decade’s growing student enrollments, helps attract and retain faculty, and renews commitments to statewide research initiatives in which PSU is a partner.
“This budget could represent the turning of tide for Oregon public higher education. Both the governor and legislative leaders joined hands in a very good effort to restore seriously eroded resources. We are grateful to them for focusing on higher education and in particular in recognizing PSU’s great service to students of this state and the Portland metro region,” said Lindsay Desrochers, vice president for Finance and Administration at PSU. “Governor Kulongoski set the stage and the legislature followed through with taking needed steps in both operating support and capital renewal and expansion.”
In particular, state funds will allow Portland State to move ahead with several major capital construction and deferred maintenance projects:
Lincoln Hall—Home to the School of Fine and Performing Arts, as well as 12 percent of total campus classroom space, this historic building on the South Park Blocks has a significant backlog of needed maintenance and seismic upgrades. The state budget provides $29.2 million for a full upgrade, including seismic retrofits. Funds include $8.616 million in both Article XI-G bonds and general funds. An additional $11.986 million in State Energy Loan Program (SELP) loans were authorized, to be repaid with energy savings.
Sciences Teaching and Research Center—Science Building 2 houses many of the laboratories for science programs at PSU, as well as the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Sciences departments, the Seismic Testing and Applied Research Lab, and other academic space. Approximately $45.3 million will be used to expand and upgrade lab space in Science Building 2, improve hazardous waste management facilities, build-out space vacated by the State Public Health laboratories and Department of Environmental Quality, and other improvements that will better serve the University’s growing science and research needs. Funds include $7.6 million in Article XI-G bonds with $7.6 million in matching general funds, an additional $9.5 million in Article XI-G bonds (that will require $9.5 million in matching gifts and federal funds), and $10,992,000 in SELP loans to be repaid with energy savings.
Academic and Student Recreation Center— This redevelopment of the Portland Center for Advanced Technology block will begin in August 2007. Though previously approved by the 2005 legislature, this year’s budget allocates another $10 million in Article XI-G bonds to match $10 million to be pledged by the city of Portland. This will support construction of a sixth floor for the facility, relocating the School of Social Work. The project will include a new student recreation facility, the city of Portland’s archives (upon final approval by the Portland City Council in July), academic space and ground-floor retail. The facility will complement the Urban Center Plaza and will link to the new light-rail project on Southwest Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
Land acquisition, housing, parking—Additional funds have been identified for land acquisition and housing (site and amount to be determined), and $12 million for parking expansion, a critical need for an urban campus that has approximately 3,600 spaces for nearly 30,000 students, faculty and staff.
Overall, the state’s 2007–2009 biennial general fund budget of $870.4 million for the Oregon University System is an 18-percent increase from the 2005–2007 budget. That amount includes:
$20.6 million to offset under-funded past and current enrollment growth;
An increase in funds for the Oregon Opportunity Grant, reducing lower- and middle-income students’ share of education costs;
Funds to reduce student/faculty ratios and to support increases in faculty salaries;
Other programs at Portland State received funding, including $2.2 million for Oregon Solutions, a program at the Policy Consensus Institute; and, $150,000 for the NEW Leadership Oregon program, which develops women leaders for the political process.
The $561 million higher education capital construction budget for 2007–2009 (Senate Bill 5516) doubles the state-funded portion to $233 million from the $115 million provided in 2005–2007. A 37-percent increase over the current biennium, the 2007–2009 budget is the largest investment in capital seen in decades for Oregon’s public universities. The budget includes funding for new construction, repair, deferred maintenance and seismic upgrades for the seven Oregon University System campuses. A detailed information sheet on the higher education budget can be downloaded at the Oregon University System Web site: http://www.ous.edu/news_and_information/news/files/FactSheetOUS_Budget07-09_v6.doc.pdf.
# # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#07-084)
Source:
Lindsay Desrochers (503-725-4444)
PSU Finance and Administration
News: Major State Funding Initiative Supports PSU Students, Faculty, Construction
Author: David Santen, Office of University Communications (503-725-8789)
Posted: June 29, 2007
The Oregon state legislature has approved a budget for the 2007–2009 biennium that will begin to address Portland State University’s critical needs for capital improvements, as well as financial support for students and faculty.
Funds in the biennial budget address the significant backlog of deferred maintenance and needed upgrades to existing facilities, and will support new construction on campus. The budget increase also addresses the past decade’s growing student enrollments, helps attract and retain faculty, and renews commitments to statewide research initiatives in which PSU is a partner.
“This budget could represent the turning of tide for Oregon public higher education. Both the governor and legislative leaders joined hands in a very good effort to restore seriously eroded resources. We are grateful to them for focusing on higher education and in particular in recognizing PSU’s great service to students of this state and the Portland metro region,” said Lindsay Desrochers, vice president for Finance and Administration at PSU. “Governor Kulongoski set the stage and the legislature followed through with taking needed steps in both operating support and capital renewal and expansion.”
In particular, state funds will allow Portland State to move ahead with several major capital construction and deferred maintenance projects:
Lincoln Hall—Home to the School of Fine and Performing Arts, as well as 12 percent of total campus classroom space, this historic building on the South Park Blocks has a significant backlog of needed maintenance and seismic upgrades. The state budget provides $29.2 million for a full upgrade, including seismic retrofits. Funds include $8.616 million in both Article XI-G bonds and general funds. An additional $11.986 million in State Energy Loan Program (SELP) loans were authorized, to be repaid with energy savings.
Sciences Teaching and Research Center—Science Building 2 houses many of the laboratories for science programs at PSU, as well as the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Sciences departments, the Seismic Testing and Applied Research Lab, and other academic space. Approximately $45.3 million will be used to expand and upgrade lab space in Science Building 2, improve hazardous waste management facilities, build-out space vacated by the State Public Health laboratories and Department of Environmental Quality, and other improvements that will better serve the University’s growing science and research needs. Funds include $7.6 million in Article XI-G bonds with $7.6 million in matching general funds, an additional $9.5 million in Article XI-G bonds (that will require $9.5 million in matching gifts and federal funds), and $10,992,000 in SELP loans to be repaid with energy savings.
Academic and Student Recreation Center— This redevelopment of the Portland Center for Advanced Technology block will begin in August 2007. Though previously approved by the 2005 legislature, this year’s budget allocates another $10 million in Article XI-G bonds to match $10 million to be pledged by the city of Portland. This will support construction of a sixth floor for the facility, relocating the School of Social Work. The project will include a new student recreation facility, the city of Portland’s archives (upon final approval by the Portland City Council in July), academic space and ground-floor retail. The facility will complement the Urban Center Plaza and will link to the new light-rail project on Southwest Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
Land acquisition, housing, parking—Additional funds have been identified for land acquisition and housing (site and amount to be determined), and $12 million for parking expansion, a critical need for an urban campus that has approximately 3,600 spaces for nearly 30,000 students, faculty and staff.
Overall, the state’s 2007–2009 biennial general fund budget of $870.4 million for the Oregon University System is an 18-percent increase from the 2005–2007 budget. That amount includes:
$20.6 million to offset under-funded past and current enrollment growth;
An increase in funds for the Oregon Opportunity Grant, reducing lower- and middle-income students’ share of education costs;
Funds to reduce student/faculty ratios and to support increases in faculty salaries;
Other programs at Portland State received funding, including $2.2 million for Oregon Solutions, a program at the Policy Consensus Institute; and, $150,000 for the NEW Leadership Oregon program, which develops women leaders for the political process.
The $561 million higher education capital construction budget for 2007–2009 (Senate Bill 5516) doubles the state-funded portion to $233 million from the $115 million provided in 2005–2007. A 37-percent increase over the current biennium, the 2007–2009 budget is the largest investment in capital seen in decades for Oregon’s public universities. The budget includes funding for new construction, repair, deferred maintenance and seismic upgrades for the seven Oregon University System campuses. A detailed information sheet on the higher education budget can be downloaded at the Oregon University System Web site: http://www.ous.edu/news_and_information/news/files/FactSheetOUS_Budget07-09_v6.doc.pdf.
# # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#07-084)
Source:
Lindsay Desrochers (503-725-4444)
PSU Finance and Administration
