As the Georgia General Assembly convened Jan. 12, Gov. Nathan Deal submitted his budget proposal for fiscal year 2016. Included in the governor’s proposal are two key capital construction projects for UGA in fiscal year 2016, which will begin July 1.
“We greatly appreciate the support Gov. Deal and the board of regents have demonstrated for these projects, and I will articulate to members of the General Assembly their importance,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead.
The governor requested $43 million in FY16 for Phase II of the Terry Business Learning Community. These funds would supplement $14 million in private gifts already committed. The $35 million for Phase I, now under construction, was funded entirely through private gifts.
The governor requested $17 million to construct a facility for the Center for Molecular Medicine, which would be matched by UGA with $8 million in nonstate funds. The building, to be constructed adjacent to UGA’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, would facilitate UGA’s rise among the very best biomedical research institutions and position the state of Georgia as an international leader in glycoscience.
“In addition to leveraging nonstate funds, these projects build upon existing UGA strengths that make the university more competitive,” said Toby Carr, UGA’s associate vice president for government relations. “We very much look forward to working with the regents, the governor and the legislature to enhance the university’s ability to serve the state.”
Another of UGA’s top legislative priorities is closing the salary gap with peer institutions. In his proposal, Deal asked the General Assembly to consider a merit-based salary increase pool for faculty and staff for a second consecutive year.