For Kent Hance, pursuing more funding for Texas Tech is just another day in the office.
Tech Chancellor Hance spoke in front of the Texas State Senate Finance Committee about the base budget the legislature has proposed for the university's system, including the $43 million budget proposal for the Health Sciences Center in El Paso. He expressed his appreciation for its inclusion and for the committee not forcing Hance to have to fight to have it included.
"I laid out our priorities for what we wanted to get accomplished," Hance said. "I want to get more funding from the teaching-excellence fund that will help pay for faculty salaries. I went to seek full formula funding from the state."
He said receiving the entire amount possible from formula funding will depend on how much the coordinating board decides to fund Tech. If Tech gets the full funding, it will help prevent tuition costs from rising.
Hance will go in front of the House Appropriations Committee today to reiterate what he said to the Senate.After both committees hear testimony from all parties whom the budget affects, both the House and the Senate will deliberate about what is necessary and what is not necessary for the budget. Following the meeting, both houses will work toward an agreement concerning what stays in the state budget.
The increase in the proposed budget is designed to provide more funding for both the university and the Tech Health Sciences Center in an effort to improve Tech's standing compared with the proportion of money distributed to other state universities such as The University of Texas and Texas A&M University.
Hance, since becoming Tech's chancellor, said he believes gaining equal funding like that allotted to the larger universities is paramount to the growth of Tech, both academically and physically.
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