Time was extended 2 minutes.
A Senator questioned the data. She said that it was reported at the last Board meeting that there are 43 African/American faculty members and Regent Bearden challenged that number. She wants to see the breakdown of African/American and Africans/other nationalities.
Secretary Rye responded that the Salary Assessment Committee may be requesting and looking at that data.
Chair Rye presented:
FCBASC 16-18-05: Faculty Senate Resolution to annually and incrementally increase the percentage of KSU's budget allocated to Instruction over the next five years, starting with the FY201819 budget.
Rationale: According to the latest audits, KSU is spending 17.4% of its budget on instruction. For FY19, we Requested 21.3% for Instruction from the State and Recommended 19.4% (FY20 Requested 22.2% Instruction and Recommended 20.2%). While any increase is helpful, this still keeps us last in all of the comparison groups that BASC has researched: other State regional universities in Kentucky, other Land Grant institutions, other HBCU's, our CPE-designated “benchmark” institutions (full research is available upon request). While we understand that improper coding of spending and economies of scale can account for some of the disparities, these factors alone cannot account for level of disparity revealed by the research. To be in line with these other institutions, we request that future budgets build toward a goal of 30% funding for instruction, to include operating budgets that include equipment, supplies, facilities, and student experiential initiatives in addition to competitive faculty salaries.
Discussion centered on where such funds would come from and how they would be spent. Some Senators voiced opposition, questioned how Chair Rye wanted the new Instructional funds to be spent, and another Senator was concerned with what areas would be cut to accommodate such increases. Rye responded that in addition to Faculty raises and unfilled positions most areas are underfunded in operating budgets. Her preference per data would be primarily from Administrative expenses and Institutional Support, not from Facilities and IT, and pointed out this action item does not deal with those specifics. Overfunded areas, per comparisons with other institutions, would be the obvious source and pointed out BASC members were unanimous in this resolution. A Chair inquired how the Land Grant funds were factored into, and affected, the Instructional percentage. Rye said that by all comparisons over the past twelve years KSU is at the bottom of percentage spent on Instruction, and that included other HBCU's that are Land Grant. Also, that when the Land Grant budget (revenue and expenses) are taken out KSU is still close to the bottom.
FCBASC 16-18-05 passed by voice vote with 13 ayes, 1 nay and 4 abstentions.
Time was extended for 5 minutes.
Chair Rye said BASC will be routing BASC 06-07-02 that outlines a schedule for timely deposit of class lab fees into unit accounts. It was signed by President Sias. Since they were yet to be deposited this semester, she inquired last week of their status. Budget Director Griffith responded they would be deposited by the end of that week, and they were. Units should know they are available.