UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS PLEASED WITH BUDGET

Southeast Missouri State University officials say they are pleased with the level of funding for the institution that has been included in the $10.2 billion state budget approved by the legislature last week.

"Overall, I think the legislature has done a fine job for us, given the availability of funds," said Art Wallhausen, assistant to the president at Southeast.

But he cautioned that funding won't be finalized until Gov. John Ashcroft signs the appropriation measures. He traditionally has withheld 3 percent of the operating budgets of state agencies and institutions as a budgetary precaution, although he has withheld far more over the course of the current fiscal year because of financial woes.

"It is up to the governor at this point," said Wallhausen.

The legislature approved general operations funding for Southeast of more than $31.4 million, plus $201,000 for costs associated with the operation of the Bootheel Education Center at Malden. Much of the funding for the center would go for administrative costs, university officials said.

In addition, lawmakers approved capital improvements funding of $662,500, including about $430,000 for construction of elevators to make three academic buildings accessible to the handicapped, and $100,000 for continued planning for a new College of Business Administration building.

Also included is about $90,000 for power plant improvements and about $39,000 for "life safety" projects primarily upgrading the fire alarm system at Academic Hall, university officials said.

The $662,500, coupled with about $1.5 million in capital improvements funding for Southeast approved earlier this legislative session, would give the institution more than $2 million in state funding for capital improvements for the 1993 fiscal year, university officials said.

That's considerably better than the $85,912 the university received in capital improvements funding for the current fiscal year, officials said. That funding went strictly for maintenance items.

Ken Dobbins, vice president for finance and administration at Southeast, said the $1.5 million in capital improvements funding was included in an emergency appropriations bill. Included in that measure, which has been signed by the governor, is funding for a variety of infrastructure improvements at Southeast, such as replacing water pumps for the power plant boilers, Dobbins said.

Wallhausen said the governor had recommended state funding of $31.4 million for general operations at Southeast for the coming fiscal year.

He said university officials are pleased that the legislature decided to include an additional $201,000, with that money earmarked to help pay for Bootheel Education Center expenses.

Since establishment of the center in 1988, Southeast has had to fund the Malden facility largely out of the university's general operations budget, Wallhausen said.

University officials had argued to the legislature this year that the university should receive specific funding outside of the regular budget to help pay costs for the Bootheel Education Center, whose programs and enrollments have expanded in recent years. Three Rivers Community College at Poplar Bluff and the University of Missouri also offer courses at the Bootheel center, but Southeast handles the administration of the facility.

Both Wallhausen and Dobbins said they hope the governor doesn't cut funding for construction of elevators in the Grauel Building and art and social science buildings.

Ashcroft had recommended funding for elevators for two of the buildings, but the legislature included funding for all three.

"All of them are desperately needed," said Wallhausen, pointing out that Southeast is under a federal mandate from the Office of Civil Rights to meet handicapped accessibility requirements. On top of that, the university faces a 1995 deadline to comply with provisions of the new federal disabilities act.

Southeast has been seeking state funding for the elevator construction for several years now. The legislature in at least the past two years has included funding for at least one elevator, but the governor has vetoed the project as a result of state budget woes, Wallhausen said.

He said the university needs elevators in the art building, as well as the other two academic buildings. "We do have handicapped students who do want to take art courses and major in art."

If Ashcroft approves the funding, the elevators could be in place by the start of the 1993-94 school year, said Wallhausen.

As to the business school, the university received $100,000 in planning money in fiscal year 1991, but no money for the current fiscal year because of budget cuts.

Wallhausen said university officials hope this second appropriation of $100,000 will stand.

"It would be another commitment on the part of the state to eventually build the building," he said. "It would help to ease the problem of paying the design phase that is being borne right now by the gifts to the (university) foundation."

He said, "I think it would certainly go a long way toward finishing the planning."

Plans call for construction of a new business building near the corner of New Madrid and Henderson streets. The project carries a total price tag of $14 to $15 million.