GOVERNOR'S BUDGET SPURS OPTIMISM ON SOUTHEAST CAMPUS

Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft's budget recommendations are welcome news to Southeast Missouri State University officials.

Barring excessive budget withholdings, Southeast could receive a net state appropriation of more than $30.46 million for the 1993 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

That's slightly less than the $35.16 million that had been recommended by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education.

But it would be $1.57 million more than the state funding for general operations at Southeast for the current fiscal year, university officials said.

On top of that, Ashcroft has recommended $2 million in capital improvement funds for Southeast, up substantially from the $85,912 the university received for physical plant maintenance for 1992.

The recommendation includes funding for construction of elevators to make the Grauel Building and Social Sciences Building accessible to the handicapped, as well as money for power plant improvements.

"We feel very good about the governor's capital recommendations," said Kala Stroup, university president.

Southeast has for several years been seeking funding for construction of elevators for three campus buildings. The legislature has previously included funding for such projects in its budget, only to have the governor veto such spending.

Art Wallhausen, assistant to the president at Southeast, said this is the first time the governor has included funding for such projects in his budget recommendations for Southeast.

The university has been under a federal mandate to make the campus accessible to the handicapped.

As to the general operating budget, the 5.43 percent state funding increase for Southeast would be good news in this time of tight state finances, university officials said.

As with other state universities and colleges, the governor has proposed a state appropriation for the 1993 fiscal year equal to that of the current fiscal year.

But if the governor only withholds the usual 3 percent (in Southeast's case that would be $942,324) that would still mean increased funding over the $28.89 million in current state funding for Southeast, said Ken Dobbins, vice president for finance and administration.

That's because last year's appropriation was slashed by repeated state budget cuts as Ashcroft sought to deal with tight state finances in recessionary times and added school desegregation costs.

"It is very encouraging, especially on the capital improvement side," Dobbins said of the budget recommendations.

Dobbins said the recommendation for increased capital improvements funding for Southeast is the result of additional federal money coming into the state treasury.

Although it is still early in the state budget process, Dobbins said he is "cautiously optimistic" about state funding for Southeast for the next fiscal year.

"I think there are several positive things," he said. For one thing, state legislators and the governor are using the same state revenue figures in developing their budgets.

"I think in the past there have been some differences between the two, and this year they are working together and starting with the same revenue figures," he pointed out.

"I think the other thing is he (Ashcroft) knows we need the money and the legislators do, too.

"We welcome any (funding) increase," said Dobbins, adding that the university has had to make numerous operating cuts over the past year because of the state budget shortfall.

As a result of limited state funding, Southeast's employees received no general pay raises last year.

Stroup and other university officials have said funding must be found to give employees pay raises in the 1993 fiscal year.