The Board of Regents approved a budget for the 2014-2015 year, a resolution of support to develop the William P. Hobby School for Public Policy and other measures.
The UH system budget, presented by Vice Chancellor and Vice President for Administration and Finance Carl Carlucci, grew to $1.57 billion from $1.49 billion in 2013 and included the budget for UH, UH-Downtown, UH-Victoria and UH-Clear Lake.
“Overall, it’s a very simple story about enrollment growth,” Carlucci said.
Seventy percent of the budget will consist of “academic spending”, which includes instruction, research, academic support, scholarships and fellowships.
“We’ve focused on adding new faculty to our institutions and we’re increasing our support towards our graduate students,” said Provost Paula Short.
The resolution of support that was approved allows the William P. Hobby Center for Public Policy to act as a fiscal agent and shows Board support for development of the school for public policy. The school will receive funds from legislation that Texas Representative Garnet Coleman supported.
“The other Tier One schools in the state have schools for public policy near the top of the rankings, so clearly they believe it’s an important area,” Coleman said.
William P. Hobby Jr., who served as the lieutenant governor of Texas from 1973 to 1991 and chancellor of the UH system from 1995 to 1997, received a standing ovation from the regents and those in attendance after speaking.
“This school will develop a niche,” Hobby said. “We don’t know what that niche will be yet, but it will reflect Houston, Texas as a booming, national city.”
The board also approved four new degree programs: a bachelor of science in honors biomedical sciences, a Ph.D. in higher education leadership and policy studies at UH, a B.S. in nursing at UH-Clear Lake and a B.S. in health studies at UH-Victoria.
The honors biomedical sciences program will allow students to spend their fourth year of undergraduate study at a partnering medical school or dental school. Upon completion, students will receive a bachelor’s degree as well as a medical degree.
“This program is designed to attract top students and provide a rigorous education experience,” Short said.
Chancellor Renu Khator was also granted authority to execute the third phase of construction for the new football stadium, hire a manager for facilities management, purchase UH campus-wide Microsoft licenses, and negotiate a ground lease towards the construction of a Delta Upsilon fraternity house.
The Board issued resolutions of appreciation for three regents: Chair Nelda Blair, Michele Mosbacher, and Jacob Monty as their term expired after the meeting, and elected Jarvis Hollingsworth as the new chair, Nandita Berry as the vice chair and Welcome Wilson Jr. as the secretary.
Before adjourning the meeting, Blair encouraged the Board members and administration, characterizing the University as one that has “shot through the sky” and one that is “a force in Houston”.
The next Board of Regents meeting will take place on Thursday, October 31 at 8:30 a.m. in the UH Hilton Hotel.
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