Key UGA priorities were included in the FY18 budget proposal approved by the Georgia General Assembly.
The proposed budget includes a 2 percent merit-based pay increase for state employees, which would allow the university to establish a pool for salary increases for faculty and staff for the fourth consecutive year.
The budget proposal also includes $18 million for the construction of Phase III of the Business Learning Community.
The third and final phase of the BLC will include modern classrooms and other learning spaces designed to deliver the highest quality business education and promote collaboration among faculty and students. The proposed state funds would be matched by $21 million in private support, bringing the total cost of all three phases of the BLC project to a nearly 50-50 match between state and private support.
In addition, the General Assembly proposal included $4.6 million to support the planning and design of an interdisciplinary STEM research building to accommodate the university’s growing research enterprise, which has seen expenditures increase by 21 percent over the past two years. This new research facility will encourage partnerships and innovation among students and researchers in STEM-related fields.
The budget proposed by the General Assembly has been submitted to the governor for approval.