In other business, the Board of Trustees:

• Approved the re-election of eight trustees of the Class of 2001 to four-year terms
• Named four new trustees
• Approved the re-election of John V. Roach as chair of the board and Jean Walbridge as secretary of the board
• Elected two trustees to Trustees Emeriti
• Passed resolutions honoring the long-time board service of trustees Vernon S. Smith, Wayne Moore and the late John S. Justin Jr.
• Approved for promotion, tenure and election to emeritus status faculty recommendations as submitted by the chancellor

Budget plan approved
Board of Trustees allots $189 million for 2001-2002

By Alisha Brown
Staff Reporter

The Board of Trustees approved a $189 million budget for 2001-2002 and allotted $10 million a year over the next three years for renovations in a meeting Friday.

With an increase of $20 million over last year’s approved budget, the sum will cover many new projects and increased salaries, said Carol Campbell, vice chancellor for finance and business.

“We’re really going to be able to put into effect a lot of things we’ve wanted to do over the last couple of years and are going to be able to make further progress on long-term goals,” Campbell said.

According to Skiff reports, the operating budget went up $10.3 million from 1999 to 2000.

Campbell said the budget increase can be attributed to a rise in operating costs and a raise in tuition. She said revenue from tuition and fees make up 58 percent of the operating costs.

The new budget includes $10 million for renovations, Campbell said. A total of $30 million in the next three years will go toward refurbishing and bringing classrooms, studios and laboratories up to speed with increasing technology and equipment, she said.

The Commission on the Future of TCU recognized the renovations as a priority in their final report, said Larry Lauer, director of the Commission and vice chancellor for marketing and communication.

“As we came out of the Commission (on) the Future last fall, we were going to give some immediate attention to classroom needs,” he said. “As a result of that, the Trustees committed the money to fund this project. The university tends to begin a project that (it sees) important immediately.”

Wil Stallworth, associate vice chancellor for plant management, said the Physical Plant administration is in the process of determining which classrooms and labs will be renovated.

“The task will be to see how much we can get done in that window of opportunity,” he said.

The board also authorized the administration to contract with Ellerbe Becket/Hahnfeld Associates and Linbeck Corporation for the construction of the Sarah and Steve Smith Entrepreneurs Hall, which will house the James A. Ryffel Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

“I can’t remember a time when so much has been going on at TCU,” Lauer said. “It’s exciting how the campus feels right now and how motivated we are and related to the future.”

Along with the reports on the physical changes on campus, Chancellor Michael Ferrari presented an admissions report to the board reflecting a possible change in the student body.

In his report, Ferrari said applications from black students increased by 25 percent, while those from students outside of Texas increased by 30 percent.

Alisha Brown
a.k.brown2@student.tcu.edu