2008 Woodie Awards
Science building funding possible
Proposed amendment would provide for postponed construction
Haley V. Hartsook and Amanda Harris
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: News
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The proposed amendment, which the Senate Education Committee approved last month, would provide $177.7 million in bonds for higher education projects.
The annual cost of the bonds would be $30.5 million. Funding depends on whether the state economy improves during next year.
Senator Jim Tracy of Shelbyville proposed the motion to provide funding for higher education building projects.
"We need an up-to-date building to educate our students," Tracy said, citing MTSU's growing student population as the reason to push for funds. Accreditation requirements are also an issue.
Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz told the Chattanooga Times that the Senate Education Committee had "ignored the current fiscal problem."
"This is an act of legislative irresponsibility that I don't quite remember seeing in this fashion before," Goetz said.
Tracy argued that even so, the project must proceed.
"It comes down to priorities. Education is the most important thing we do in this state," Tracy said.
Speaker of the House Ron Ramsey agreed.
"I think we need to get that one behind us this year, because it's going to create a logjam at the top of the list if we don't get it funded," Ramsey said.
"It is a huge project and that is one reason that it needs to be funded. And keep in mind, you don't fund the whole project, you just have to put in the budget 10 percent to sell the bonds and hopefully we'll be able to find that, some way, somehow, this year," Ramsey said.
Tracy said that the next step in acquiring funding for the science building is to get the finance committee to approve the amendment to the governor's budget. MTSU hopes they will reach a decision before the current legislative session ends in May.
Funding problems won't end for MTSU's science building once funding for the initial construction is approved. Equipment will be needed for the building's four new labs as well as offices.
Stephen Wright, associate professor of biology and shepherd for the new science building, said that once the facility is completed, the top priority will be providing enough microscopes. A set of microscopes for one class costs $50,000.
Another essential item to the science building will be fume hoods. One fume hood costs $10,000.
Office and lab equipment for the building will have to be funded by existing department budgets, technical fees, grants, and possibly even company donations and the MTSU Foundation.
The biology department needs $25,000 at present for new equipment in their existing teaching labs.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Timothy Strobl
posted 4/03/08 @ 1:12 PM CST
As the student population grows at MTSU, so must the facilities and service to those students. While MTSU has been fortunate to secure new facilities and building through the years such as the Walker Library, B&A Building, a Recreation Center and other the funding for other projects and renovations, the Science Building is our next important step in growing the prestige of our univeristy. (Continued…)
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