April 26, 2004
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| Judge John England | Angus Cooper II |
UA Trustees Confirmed
Two incumbent members of the UA System Board of Trustees were recently confirmed for additional six-year terms. Judge John England and Angus Cooper II were confirmed by a vote of 32-0 in the Alabama Senate.
England currently serves as a Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court judge and is a former member of the Alabama Supreme Court. He represents the Seventh Congressional District and was originally elected to the Board of Trustees in 1998. Cooper represents the First Congressional District and was originally elected to the Board in 2000. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of Cooper/T. Smith Corp., which has stevedoring, shipping and other business ventures across the nation and abroad.
SACS
Update
All items concerning the SACS Reaffirmation of Reaccreditation effort at UA written for Dialog are now posted at the UA-SACS Web site. Go to the "New" section of the Resources for UA Faculty and Staff area. These reminders could be helpful — especially the most recent ones — when faculty, staff, directors, and others ask to be reminded of what needs to be done.
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Members of the Faculty Senate steering committee recently met with Dr. Jack Allen, associate executive director of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, to gather information about UA's on-going SACS Reaffirmation of Reaccreditation process. Pictured are (l-r) Bob Sigler, John Mason (president for 2004-05), Allen, Matt Winston (vice president for 2004-05), Karla Carmichael, Steve Miller, Nick Stinnett, and Muhammad Sharif. |
Why Get Involved? — Again
As Dialog went to press, the 2004-2005 education budget was moving through the Legislature. Higher ed representatives had previously met with Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee Chair Hank Sanders (DSelma) to explain universities' budget needs. In light of the state's financial crisis, higher ed is requesting only level funding with additional funding to cover the cost of mandated increases in retirement system matching costs and retiree health insurance benefits.
The Alabama Senate passed and sent to the House of Representatives the education budget for Fiscal 2004-2005. The budget passed on a vote of 25-9 and contains an increase for the four-year universities that is twice the amount of the increase proposed in Gov. Riley's original budget. Although the Senate budget increases proposed funding for the four-year universities above the current year level, the increase is not sufficient to cover the cost of employer matching for retirement and health insurance for our retirees.
The recent Higher Education Partnership newsletter, Update (March-April 2004), clarified higher ed's role as an essential part of Alabama's progress in all aspects of the state's economy and the well-being of individuals. The best way to see why Alabama has lagged behind neighboring states is to look at per-student funding, rather than per-capita funding. Data from the Southern Regional Education Board shows that, in 2000, full-time equivalent (FTE) funding in Alabama provided $4,871 per student, compared to the next lowest, Mississippi, at $6,321. Georgia provides $7,562.
UA's Center for Business and Economic Research has calculated that the difference in lifetime earnings between a high school graduate and a college graduate is $1.5 million. This difference affects the state's income taxes and sales taxes, which indicate economic well-being.
The University encourages faculty and staff to join the Higher Education Partnership and to contribute to the UAS PAC. "The days of cheap campaigns and no involvement with the legislative process are over," said Bill Jones, UAS's director of government relations. Support can be accomplished through payroll deduction for as little as $1 a month. For more information or to sign up, go to the government relations website at www.governmentrelations.ua.edu.
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