JSU Newswire
Jacksonville, Alabama
 

Breaking News from Dr. Bill Meehan
in Montgomery


JACKSONVILLE -- March 1, 2001 -- As of late Thursday afternoon, higher education representatives were still negotiating with Gov. Siegelman and others regarding proration. By unanimous agreement among all public universities, the following is the position taken by higher education in Alabama. Please let your representatives and senators know that this is also your position. You may look up your senator and representative on the web at www.legislature.state.al.us/misc/zipsearch.html.

POSITION STATEMENT:

Proposal to Achieve Fairness During Periods of Proration

Submitted By: The Presidents and Chancellors of Alabama's Public Universities

Principle: Proration should be applied equally to K-12 and higher education.

  1. Faculty and staff at all levels, K through university, are the single most important element of public education. Each faculty and staff member deserves adequate compensation and fringe benefits. During periods of economic difficulty, each deserves fair treatment and protection. Therefore, it is the position of Alabama's University Presidents and Chancellors that the salaries of the faculty and staff of Alabama's public universities should be exempt, along with the salaries of their K-12 counterparts, from the hardship of proration.

  2. Proration should be applied equally to K-12 and higher education. The percentage of appropriations for K-12 from the Foundation Program and categorical aid programs for items other than the salaries mentioned in number one shall also be applied to higher education in determining the dollars subject to proration in both areas. The proration percentage shall be applied equally to both areas. Although state appropriations for higher education are not sufficient to cover salaries in higher education, in the interest of fairness and compromise, higher education will accept the same percentage to be prorated as K-12.

    For example, if the salaries for K-12 mentioned above comprise 70% of their appropriated dollars, the other 30% of their appropriated dollars would be subject to proration. In the same manner, 30% of the appropriation for higher education would be subject to proration. The declared proration percentage would apply to this 30% for both K-12 and higher education.

  3. Any revenue improvements for 2000-2001 over current projections will be shared on a ration of two thirds for K-12 and one third for higher education.



 


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