Auburn trustees express displeasure with proposed state appropriations

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Members of the Auburn University Board of Trustees expressed their displeasure with the amount of state appropriations coming to Auburn under the governor’s proposed 2020 budget.

Trustee Jimmy Rane, chair of the board’s governmental affairs committee, said last month Gov. Kay Ivey introduced her budget recommendations, which include the largest education budget in state history, totaling $7.1 billion and including $1.2 billion for higher education.

“The bad news is that her budget was not kind to Auburn,” Rane said. “Let me repeat — it was not kind to Auburn.”

Under record revenues and the largest education budget ever, Auburn received the lowest percentage increase among colleges and universities. Auburn’s increase is 5 percent, the University of Alabama’s is more than 7.5 percent and Athens State University received the largest increase at more than 11 percent.

Rane noted that Athens State is in the district of State Senator Arthur Orr, who chairs the Finance and Taxation Education Committee.

Several trustees called the appropriations for Auburn “unacceptable.”

Rane said that Auburn President Steven Leath and other administrators have had meetings with Ivey, Orr and Senate pro tem Del Marsh to discuss their concerns.

“Our plan is to continue to work aggressively to improve Auburn’s appropriation for a more equitable treatment among the state’s colleges and universities,” said Rane.

The education budget is expected to be in committee next week and to the Senate soon after.

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.