Student Voice
Proposed 2008 Legislative Agenda
Expanded Election Day Registration
a) Allow use of government-issued ID from other states to prove identity
b) Expand college housing lists to allow off-campus housing lists to be provided to election officials
c) Allow use of satellite tv bills to prove address
d) Allow rent statements with itemized utility expenses to prove address
e) Allow use of leases to prove address
Allow non-partisan election judges
Currently, law requires a certain number of Republican and Democratic election judges. MSUSA is interested in this shift to more non-partisan election judges because young people are less likely to affiliate with a political party. More broadly, the average age of election judges in Minnesota is over 70, and many areas (particularly rural) are facing a shortage of judges.
Allow absentee balloting for any or no reason
Currently, Minnesota voters must give one of the following reasons to receive an absentee ballot: * away from home; * ill or disabled; * an election judge serving in a precinct other than your own; * unable to go to the polling place due to a religious observance or belief.– This change removes the need to offer a reason
to vote absentee.
Military and Overseas Voting bill
Currently ballots must be mailed overseas, completed, mailed back, and received by election day . Depending on the area of the world, this turnaround becomes very tight. This change would allow a PDF of a ballot to be e-mailed to a voter, printed out, completed, and mailed back, cutting mail time in half.
Allowing for automatic registration
1. Allowing for addresses in the statewide voter registration system to be automatically updated based on permanent forwarding orders filed with the US Postal Service. A notice would then be sent to the voter’s new address telling them their new polling place and asking them to call if they don’t want to be registered at the new address
2. Allowing for automatic registration of all Minnesotans who get a driver’s license or state ID card, unless they opt out or aren’t eligible to vote
Financial Aid State Legislative Agenda
Overview
Financial Aid Impacts You!
Financial Aid helps keep higher education affordable and accessible
Over half of all students in the MnSCU system receive some sort of financial aid
Everyone knows at least one person who’s benefited from financial aid
Purpose of the Financial Aid Campaign
Review current Financial Aid practices and identify areas that could benefit students even more– Financial Aid Profiles– Meetings with Financial Aid Directors– Financial Aid Advisory Committee/OHE– Other Sources
Financial Aid and the 2008 Legislative Session
Advocate for changes to the financial aid system
Educate legislators on what sectors of higher education benefit most from financial aid– Fact Sheets– Personal stories gathered from the Financial Aid
Profiles– Individual Meetings
Possible Options for Financial Aid Changes
Revisions to State Grant Formula
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Student Share Part-time student eligibility Cap on Recognized Tuition and Fees
Revisions to State Grant Formula
Return to actual tuition/fees Pell Pass Through 5th Year
Revisions to State Grant Formula
Revise Living and Miscellaneous Expenses (LME)– Increase; more accurately reflect cost of living– Allow for adjustments to LME based on
household circumstances
Supplemental Programs
ACHIEVE Program– Is this the best use of higher education money?
Review Eligibility for– MN Work Study– MN Child Care Grant– MN GI Bill
Recommendations
State Grant Program
Add 5th year eligibility Increase the LME Return to actual tuition/fees Oppose increase the cap on recognized
tuition and fees Begin advocating for complete review of the
state grant program in the 2009 legislative session
Supplemental Programs
ACHIEVE Program– Advocate for reallocation of these funds to
another area of higher education
Review/Expand Eligibility– MN Work Study– MN Child Care Grant– MN GI Bill
Federal Legislative Agenda
Financial Aid Federal Legislative Agenda
Increase Funding for Work Study
Work study positions are linked to higher retention rates
Allow students the opportunity to gain practical work experience
Increases accountability to the campus community
Independent Student Status
Currently considered dependent until age 24 with certain exceptions
– (married, children, veteran, etc.) Appeals Process; financial independence is not
grounds for appeal Lowering the age of independence would more
accurately reflect current higher education contribution trends (Students contributing more than parents)
Pell Grant Funding
Increased Funding of the Pell Grant Expand Pell Grant Funding to more readily
allow for summer courses
TEACH “Scholarships”
Reallocate money into a more student-friendly scholarship program– Actually grants– Many strings attached– Good program in its intent, but money may be
able to go into a program that would better aid teachers
Textbooks
Textbooks
National movement for textbook legislation- Current legislation review
Timeline for MSUSA action
What MSUSA could accomplish
Proposed action/plan for national textbook involvement
Veterans
Support Veterans In Higher Education
Minnesota has the largest percentage of appointed National Guard in the nation
80% want to go to college when they return
Examples of Reforms and Changes
G.I. Bill Reform– GI Bill based on continuous service not
cumulative– Educational Benefits increase with inflation, not
increase of costs– Deferment for school loans only 6 months when
they return
Examples of Reforms and Changes
Department of Veteran’s Affairs Reform– Veteran’s must apply for educational benefits.
Why? Can take 16 weeks or more for reply on benefits
package
Examples of Reforms and Changes
Funding for Campus Assistance– There is a mandate that all campuses must
provide veteran assistance centers but there is no funding.
Examples of Reforms and Changes
Transfer, Information and Articulation– Make sure that our institutions are tracking
veteran’s better– We want to make a push for institutions to collect
veteran’s military experience so that they can be placed in the appropriate position in a major or program
Faculty Negotiations
Biennium Number Tips!
Remember 1+1=3– To give an increase one year, means we are
paying for that one increase twice in a biennium. – For an increase each year, means we are paying
for the first pay increase both years of the biennium, PLUS another increase for the second year increase.
Salaries
Across the Board Increases– FY08 1% Salary Increase (Biennium = $3.528M)
FY08 - $1.731 MM FY09 - $1.797 MM
– FY08 and FY09 1% Salary Increase FY08 - $1.731 MM FY09 - $1.731 MM + $1.797 MM
– Total for Biennium $5.300 MM
Step Increases
1 Step = 2.39% Increase FY08 1 Step Increase (Biennium = $7.976M)
– FY08 - $4.062 MM– FY09 - $3.914 MM
FY08 1 Step and FY09 1 Step– FY08 - $4.062 MM– FY09 - $4.062 MM + $3.914MM
Total for Biennium = $12.039 MM
Benefits
Health Insurance– Will Increase $3.000 MM for Biennium
FICA and Pensions– Will increase 13.65%
IFO Current Contract Proposal
FY08 5% Salary Increase Across the Board FY08 2 Steps FY09 2 Steps
Total Package = $60.3 MM
MnSCU Current Contract Proposal
FY08 1 Step Increase w/ 1% Salary Increase Mid-Year
FY09 1 Step Increase w/ 5% Salary Increase Mid-Year
Total Biennium Cost = $30.000 MM
MnSCU & IFO
$30.000 MM Gap between the two parties.
Current Guess on Final Negotiations
FY08 5% Salary Increase and FY09 5% Salary Increase
Covered Increases in Health Insurance, FICA, Pensions and other benefits.
Total for Biennium = $33.000 MM
Campus Inflation Allocation
State Universities Biennium Inflation (3.25%) Budget– $22.000 MM
MnSCU ITS Budget Overview
Legislative Appropriation Overview
~ $152 Million Increase in Appropriation for FY 2008 & FY 2009– $146.5 Million in “On-Going” Money
$22 Million Underrepresented and Underserved $56.8 Million for Inflation $62.8 Million for Technology
– $12.5 Million goes to Campuses $5 Million Non-Resident Tuition Buy Down
– $5.5 Million One time Money Legislative Initiatives
FY08 ITS Investment
FY07 Baseline $21.500 MM Additional funding $24.855 MM Total FY 08 ITS Budget = $46.355 MM
ITS FY 08 Operating Budget
Total budget: $46.355 “Keeping the Lights On”
– $28.082 MM– Commitment to find additional $1.000 MM in cost
savings New Initiatives, Etc…..
– Amount allocated for optional maintenance and new initiatives during FY 2008: $19.272 MM
Includes $5.000 MM allocated back to campuses Also includes an additional 55 positions over the next
biennium
High Level Budget
Description 2008 Budget
“Keep the lights on” and existing ITS commitments to maintain common services across all campuses that support students, faculty and staff
$27,082,597
FY07 carryover projects to improve reliability and security for students and campuses
$8,485,000
FY08 required maintenance projects to increase capacity $1,008,000
Allocated to campuses for local initiatives that provide direct benefits to students and campuses
$5,000,000
Allocated to initiatives < $100k that provide “quick wins” for students and campuses
$500,000
Available for allocation to new projects – emphasis on projects that benefit students, faculty and staff
$4,279,403
Total ITS Operating Budget $46,355,000
Keeping the Lights On
Handout 1– Non Personnel Services $14,651967– ITS Staffing Support
$13,430,630 140 Current Staff Positions, Including 20 Current
Vacancies
_____________________________________
= $28,082,597
“Keeping the Lights On”
Non – Personnel Budget– 4 largest budget items:
Server purchases, leases and maintenance $3,493,500– Alleviates critical capacity, response time and down time issues
Network services $2,461,000– Wide Area Network between campuses– Includes maintenance on routers and firewalls
MAPS / SEMA4 payment $1,700,000– Statewide financial and HR system
Enterprise software $900,000– Operating system and backup software– Databases (Oracle and RDB)
“Keeping the Lights On”
120 current staff spend a majority of time on maintenance and support of existing infrastructure and applications
– Due primarily to age of infrastructure and number of applications supported
As the infrastructure is upgraded and / or replaced, it is anticipated that less time will be required for support in the future – freeing more resources for new initiatives
20 current vacancies– Current plans call for some of these staff to be dedicated for
new initiatives
High Level Budget
Description 2008 Budget
“Keep the lights on” and existing ITS commitments to maintain common services across all campuses that support students, faculty and staff
$27,082,597
FY07 carryover projects to improve reliability and security for students and campuses
$8,485,000
FY08 required maintenance projects to increase capacity $1,008,000
Allocated to campuses for local initiatives that provide direct benefits to students and campuses
$5,000,000
Allocated to initiatives < $100k that provide “quick wins” for students and campuses
$500,000
Available for allocation to new projects – emphasis on projects that benefit students, faculty and staff
$4,279,403
Total ITS Operating Budget $46,355,000
Enterprise Investment Committee
Committee comprised of:– 5 College / University Presidents– Sr. Vice Chancellor and 3 Vice Chancellors
Chaired by Dr. Linda Baer, SR. VC, ASA
Progress to date– Reaffirmed 9 FY07 ongoing projects– Affirmed 4 FY08 required maintenance projects– Approved initiation of 13 additional new projects
Total cost of these 26 initiatives is $19 MM– Includes $5 MM directly to colleges / universities
FY08 ITS Operating Budget
Handout 2!
FY09 ITS Budget
FY07 Baseline $21.500 MM Additional funding $29.300 Total FY 09 ITS Budget = $50.800 MM
FY09 ITS Operating Budget
Total budget: $50.8 “Keeping the Lights On”
– $30.000 MM– Commitment to find additional $1.000 MM in cost savings
New Initiatives, Etc…..– Amount allocated for optional maintenance and new
initiatives during FY 2009: $21.800 MM Includes $7.500 MM allocated back to campuses Also includes the new employees within the additional 55
positions not hired in FY08
FY09 ITS Operating Budget
FY 2009: $21.8 MM– $7.500 MM Allocated to Campuses– Hiring Full Time ITS Staff (55 Positions)
80% Greater Minnesota
– 9-10 FY08 Carry Over Projects– Rest of money focused on “Accelerate,
Enhancement, Expansion, and Integration of Enterprise Systems