Board of Trustees approves operating budgets for fiscal year 2019

The Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees at its June 21 meeting provided a financial road map for the University, approving educational and general operating budgets for fiscal year 2019. Also on the agenda for the board’s last meeting of the academic year was approving a collective bargaining agreement with the campus police union.

The approved fiscal year 2019 budget includes compensation increase pools for faculty and staff. The collective bargaining agreement with the BGSU Faculty Association calls for a 3.7 percent pool to be provided for those faculty deemed to be performing at or above expectations, allocated at 1 percent across the board, 1 percent merit, and 1 percent for market adjustments. Additional funds were approved for promotion and tenure raises and market adjustments. Compensation pools of 2 percent were approved for eligible classified and administrative staff. Raises will go into effect in September.         

The combined revenues from all University budgets for FY 2019 is expected to reach $423.8 million, with planned expenditures from all funds of $422.2 million.

Although Ohio provided no additional funding to the overall State Support of Instruction (SSI) total, the University, including all its campuses, expects a 1.7 percent SSI increase of $1.3 million, due to BGSU’s improving performance relative to its peers in successful course completion and degrees granted — criteria upon which the state funding formula is based. BGSU also expects an overall 1.3 percent increase of $2.7 million in tuition, nonresident fees and general fees over the prior year, primarily due to the implementation of the Falcon Tuition Guarantee and an increase in out-of-state surcharge rates. In total, with an expected slight increase in enrollment, the combined BGSU campuses are anticipating a 1.0 percent increase of $4.0 million in revenue over the prior year.

“In a year when state revenues continue to lag a bit behind some of the more positive economic indicators such as higher employment, we are pleased that BGSU remains in a strong position, thanks in part to the progress we continue to make retaining our freshmen and increasing our graduate student enrollment,” said President Rodney Rogers. “We continue our focus on recruitment, helping students continue through to graduation and offering in-demand, relevant academic programs that make BGSU a first choice for students preparing for promising careers.”

Also at the meeting, the board ratified a collective bargaining agreement with the International Union of Police Associations, the BGSU police’s union. Using “interest-based bargaining,” the union and the administration reached an agreement on compensation and benefits that provides for an initial market adjustment (varying depending upon the individual employee’s unique position and circumstances), to be followed by annual increase of 2 percent beginning Sept. 1, 2018, plus the same increases for the police staff in the second and third years of the contract as all classified staff at BGSU might receive.

The trustees also approved two joint-use agreements, as required by the state whenever BGSU serves as the administrator of state capital funds for capital project partnerships with outside groups. The agreements guarantee the University continuing access and connections to the projects, which benefit both BGSU and the public. Both joint-use agreements involve funding allocated by the Ohio General Assembly in the 2019-20 capital appropriations bill.

A joint-use agreement with the Milan Township Trustees was approved for a $75,000 capital project at the Milan Township location for the installation of an elevator and associated upgrades to support the use of the ballroom and stage at the Milan Township Hall. The hall will be made available to faculty and staff on the Firelands College campus.

An agreement with the Firelands Regional Medical Center involves $150,000 of the $250,000 provided for the nursing program the College of Health and Human Services collaborates on with the hospital’s School of Nursing. The $150,000 covered by the joint-use agreement will be used at the medical center toward the creation of a maternal-child simulation center. BGSU Firelands will use its $100,000 portion of the funds for the enhancement of the Allied Health Building Nursing Simulation Room.