Trustees discuss state budget

The IU board of trustees discussed the approval of a capital appropriation request for the 2005-2007 budget cycle and approved changes to the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct and the Intercollegiate Athletics Programs Policy during their meeting Thursday.\nThe appropriation request includes includes $1.03 billion in operating costs and $251.6 million for capital projects. \nIU board of trustees President Fred Eichhorn said the request is reasonable, but is unsure how it will be received by the state.\n"It's really a conservative budget and I would hope that it would be realized," Eichhorn said. "However, I cannot predict what some individuals in the state legislature might say about it."\nThe major items within the capital projects' part of the plan include the allocation of $45 million to update IU's central heating plant and a $46.8 million for the repair and rehabilitation of facilities and infrastructure for all of IU's campuses.\nThe update for IU's central heating plant will be used to comply with new federal air pollution rules, which go into effect in 2007. Eichhorn said the update is long overdue and cannot be ignored because of its environmental implications.\n"There's really no discretion involved in the (central heating system update)," Eichhorn said. "The clean air laws will require us to do something. Indiana law requires us to use Indiana coal, and in order to use that coal, we need to update the system."\nThe trustees also want to resurrect state funding for building repair and renovation, as the University has not received this money since 1998. The money is used for the upkeep for IU's existing buildings and does not include the construction of any new buildings. \nTrustee Patrick Shoulders said the new capital appropriation request falls well within the needs of the University without any unneeded expenses.\n"I think that it ought to be favorably received by the state because it does not have anything for new buildings or any other fund that might be seen as extraneous," Shoulders said. "It's actually a modest request in terms of our needs. However, it does ask that we receive the repair and rehabilitation money that we haven't seen in a few years, but we certainly need that to maintain the University."\nAlso in the meeting, changes were made to both the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct and the Intercollegiate Athletics Programs Policy. The changes within the student code involved the update of the Individual Rights section, which involved matters of harassment due to sexual harassment and harassment involving sexual orientation and race.\n"The major change was the harassment section was modernized and consolidated," Eichhorn said. "Over time the code evolved as issues would arise and there's a major consolidation under the harassment section. There was a clarification of students' rights and resolutions."\nThe Intercollegiate Athletics Programs changes included streamlining the firing process of coaches if he or she carries out an egregious act against the University, which constitutes an immediate firing. Trustee Peter Obremskey said the change allows IU's president to fire a coach without assembling the personnel subcommittee.\n"We tried to make it a little more responsive to the needs of the president in the event he's not able to get the committee together," Obremskey said. "This would occur if a coach has made a serious transgression that would necessitate an immediate firing."\nObremskey said all of the changes made during the meeting were needed by the University. As for the capital appropriation, he remains hopeful that no changes will be made to the board's plan.\n"The state is short of money, but the state recognizes the importance of education," Obremskey said. "I would hope that none of the items would be cut, but you never know."\n-- Contact managing editor Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.