Last year the Kansas Legislature took money from universities, but Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposed budget restores the ‘salary cap’ reductions that cost Fort Hays State University $276,176 according to a press release from FHSU University Relations.
Dr. Edward H. Hammond is the president of Fort Hays State University. He is urging lawmakers to support the recommended budget.
“At FHSU, the Legislature cut what we spent to hire faculty to cover increased enrollment,” the president said. FHSU has seen its enrollment soar from about 5,800 students in the year 2000 to just over 13,500 at the end of the fall 2013 semester. “Obviously, with our tremendous growth, it has been necessary to hire more faculty,” he continued. “The governor did not think it was a wise decision to cut a university that hired more faculty to cover increased enrollment. Conversely, he thought it was a wise decision by us to increase our enrollment and hire more faculty to serve those students.”
Hammond said Brownback’s recommended budget also included funding for expansion of the new Information Systems Engineering Bachelor of Science Degree Program at FHSU. “The additional $760,111 would permit us to support 100 students in the program, which will provide much-needed workers to service networks, provide network security and support information systems.”