Show 7 TheEagleolumeXYINumberi5 Budget increase tops CEU agenda by Sam Pittman Eagle editor President Michael A Petersen with representatives of the states' other public institutions of higher learning will be in the state capital next week to meet with members of the state legisla- lure President Petersen will lay sev- eral issues before committee in the upcoming session Topping the agenda as it docs every session will be the budget for the upcom- - ingyear Petersen has several objectives for the upcoming school year Foremost is an increase in the ba- sic operating budget necessary to keep pace with the five percent in- flation rate projected for the com- ing year In addition the president wishes to provide faculty and staff with an increase in salary to offset the increased cost of living associ- with the inflation rate An ad- increase of three percent has been recommended by the Board of Regents in order to make salaries more competitive with those paid by community colleges in the rest of the nation "We're also asking for some ad- ditional salary increases for our faculty" Petersen continued "Evcry year we do a survey to compare the faculty's salary here with those of similar institu- tionsand our salaries at CEUare 25 percent below salaries of faculties at comparable around the country" These increases would total eight monies from base adjustment to the budget Current funding allows us to handle 1348 full time dents According to estimates compiled by the college and the Board of Regents the number of full time students will increase by a total of 86 students at the Price campus This translates to an addi- tional $220300 just to provide basic instruction As a result a four percent tu-ition increase is being requested Petersen defended the increase: "What weVe asking is for the legislature to allow us to keep the tuition increases that we'll have next year” Petersen went on to explain that money is needed to provide support for the additional students mi campus "When the legislature funds enrollment growth they're just funding an instructor and the operating budget that Instructor needs to accommodate the classes and the programs they’re tcach-ate- d ing" Funding for counselling brary help and support in the business office are not provided for in these appropriations Petersen indicated that these areas had been overlooked by the legislature in recent years causing them to be come "urgent issues" Other priorities include addi- lional funding for libraries programs for the educationally disad- vantaged and the opening of new buildings on CElTs satellite cam- pus the San Juan Center stu-alo- ng 7teSW!5IIBh budget by $916XXThisrcpre-institution- s sc1 1 36 percent increase in the amount of money available to fund the higher education budget According to Petersen tVw s budget funds are needed to operate at the requ'-nregovonor'three a percent same level as last They off- - provides only cx-t- o for increase inflation rtaffplusan In order salary set the effects of The facilitate CElTs increase in en- - tra two percent for faculty governor supports some of foe tollmen! additional funding is other base adjustments requests pppjwi UllimMtly thckgiriature will Pelcnen riled leveraleumplci of four yean foe legislature has been areas that require expansion to fa-- unwilling to increase taxes and cilitate the increase in enrollmenL Petersen does not feel this session There "support areas" receive no will be any different m t V v- ' ' f‘ - v t 7 w t f I K A a a A'w k Walcomad back to winter quarter with a naw mow students (I to r): Adam Bradford Shana Plnneo and Mika Shewmaka treat Jennifer Adams toa snowball light Photo by Garth Frandsan What is the price of a rare dinosaur? CELTs Prehistoric Museum is in the middle of a heated controversy between the state and ethical laws by Tom Martin staff writer The protection of rare natural mdcuiumlrooircei and the education of the state's youth are highly valued by most people however foe excavation of two dinosaur fossils by foe College of Eastern Utah's Prehistoric Museum has sparked a controversy bring- ing there ideals into direct conflict On state lands CElTs Museum's director Don Burge has unearthed two whole dinosaur specimens that represent a species not previously known to exist "There are 500 different species of dinosaurs in the world” Burge said "and we stumbled on two new ones just north of Moab That's significant” Full market price may be demanded by state The problem arises from foe Division of Stale Land's position that the use of state land is solely for the funding of Utah's school system In other words the division may demand full market price for the specimens According to in article by Jerry Spangler in the Dcaerct Newt the dinosaur! must be proraicientific research that would benefit students more than the economic return of selling off foe resources for CEU to keep the specimens But members of the division believe that storing trust assets in a museum base- ment docs not serve the best interests of Utah's stu- dents The two dinosaurs are the most valuable of foe aUuidraldlKorth as much as $1 million each Burge added Since CElTs museum cannot afford to pay for the dinosaurs they find and excavate they may be sold to foe high- caDKMcr Utahns furious about selling natural resources Many Utahns are furious about the prospect of selling rare state resources to the private investors Spangler's article continued "Never before anywhere in the United States has a state sold its cultural heritage and the mere suggestion has pitted the Division of State Lands against scientists historians museum administrators federal land managers and even the governor's office” CEU forced to pay $200 permit The division is also requiring groups using state lands to purchase an annual $200 permit for each site Burge said he finds it ironic the state would ch CEU in onto lop money intolhertool Mjny fed thatthu proposal it an Inefficient find eduennon nice lea dun one percent 11b school public system's budget traditionally comes from state land revenues Burge will pay the permit fee under protest and will continue to fight the division in order to keep the Moab dinosaurs at their current residence |