IU President Says State Funding The Biggest Challenge Facing University

Indiana University

IU President Michael McRobbie issued his annual "State of the University" address in front of a crowd of about 100 mostly faculty and administrators.

Indiana University President Michael McRobbie says state funding is one of the biggest concerns facing IU.   During his annual, “State of the University” address, he said state support has dropped by 30 percent over the last few years.  McRobbie says if this trend continues, the state’s contribution to the university will fall to less than 10 percent of the school’s total budget by 2020.

McRobbie called on the state to either increase its contribution to the university or allow schools more freedom to set tuition.

“At the same time as our state support has declined, the desire and demand for increasingly detailed administrative and legislative oversight of our operations has increased,” said McRobbie.

McRobbie thanked faculty and staff for making sacrifices in the face of budget cuts.

Ed Vasquez is vice president of IU’s largest union, the Communication Workers of America.  He says the president’s speech failed to address his organization’s concerns.

“If you no staff to support them, you’re not going to retain faculty on this campus and you’re not going to serve the students as well,” said Vasquez.

In his speech McRobbie credited donation campaigns at IU campuses across the state for raising billions of dollars for student financial aid this year, and he says IUPUI’s fundraising campaign recently passed the $1 billion mark – and now is headed towards one-and a quarter billion…. That makes it the largest fundraising goal in IU history.