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