The UCF Report, Vol. 17 No. 19, April 14, 1995

              hUCF
Report
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President John Hitt NV^r
explains the importance
of the visit to UCF by an
accreditation team. See letter
on page 4.
Volume 17, No. 19
The newsletter for faculty and staff
April 14,1995
Budget for higher education in the balance as legislators debate
Every member of the Central
Florida delegation in the State
Legislature has gone to bat for
UCF's financial needs, as legislators
line up for a budget battle in a season
of severe cuts, according to Dan
Holsenbeck, vice president of
University Relations. Although
hitting a homer is probably out of the
question for the State University
System, winning the game in the
ninth inning has become a possibility.
"The Central Florida senators,
especially Toni Jennings and Buddy
Dyer, have been extremely supportive
and helpful," Holsenbeck said. "They
have been strong and active in
helping us. We're getting full support
Water samples
test negative
in Ed Building
All water samples drawn from
the Education Building and
the Reflecting Pond on March
18 have tested negative for legionella
bacteria, the Orange County Public
Health Unit reported last week.
Cultures of the nine samples
failed to grow the bacteria that can
cause Legionnaires' disease, Bill Toth,
the Orange County epidemiologist,
advised the University of Central
Florida's Environmental Health and
Safety Department. At the time The
UCF Report went to press, Toth
reported that he was completing his
investigation into the possible
legionella infections that UCF had
reported to him since last March.
The investigation is concentrating
principally on two cases involving
College of Education employees that
Please see SAMPLES, page 3
from those in the House, also,
particularly House Minority Leader
Daniel Webster, UCF graduate Lee
Constantine and Alzo Reddick. Every
member of the Central Florida
delegation has asked that our requests
be met. They are working together on
our behalf."
The House offered a budget that
would fund most of the Board of
Regents' requests; whereas, the Senate,
in contrast, proposed a budget that
would fall considerably short of that.
The budget approved by the House
would bring in $158 million of new
monies to the State University System.
"That would be about a 10
percent increase over our current
budget," Holsenbeck said. The
Senate's budget calls for about $27.7
million of new monies, more than a 1
percent increase. Those new funds
will do no more than cover current
operations, which includes $14.5
million to annualize the pay raises
that went into effect Nov. 1 and $7.5
million to pay for operations of new
university space coming on line in the
upcoming fiscal year.
"The Senate's budget doesn't
recognize UCF's enrollment growth
nor our efficiency in dealing with that
growth," Holsenbeck explained. The
Senate's bill cuts $133 from the
budget.
"They've re-directed that into
what they call 'performance
incentives.'" We have an opportunity
to get back what was cut, but there are
lengthy and complex criteria that
must be met to do that," Holsenbeck
said.
The House's budget, on the other
hand, fully funds enrollment requests
based on projected growth, an
increase in the Library's resources and
a 3 percent salary increase effective
Jan. 1.
UCF administrators are most
encouraged by the Legislature's
willingness to make up for past
budget deficiencies. Both chambers
Please see BUDGET, page 3
International Students Share Traditions
UCF international students who are members of Sangam (the Indian Student Association) perform the
Dandia, commonly known as the Stick Dance, which is a harvest dance from West India. The performance
was one of many at the South Asian Fashion Show sponsored by the International Student Association with
Sangam and the Pakistani Students Association held on campus last month.
Accreditation team to visit UCF for wide-ranging assessment
Representatives of the Southern
Association of Colleges and
Schools and the National
Collegiate Athletic Association will
closely examine the university later
this month during a joint campus visit
to reaffirm the university's
accreditation and certify that the
athletic program meets NCAA
requirements.
The visit, scheduled from April 23
to April 26, caps a self-study process
that has involved all sectors of the
UCF community over the past two
years. Having read the UCF-generated
information in the separate self-
studies of the institution and its
intercollegiate athletic program prior
to campus arrival, the 26 team
members are expected to verify the
report's findings and suggestions
through in-depth discussions with
administrators, faculty, staff and
students.
The SACS Reaffirmation
Committee is chaired by Carolyn
Hargrave, professor of quantitative
business analysis at Louisiana State
University. David Roselle, president,
University of Delaware, leads the
NCAA's certification committee,
which operates as a subcommittee of
the reaffirmation unit.
"This visit is very intense for
visiting team members," said Peter
Rautenstrauch, assistant chair of
Mathematics and director of the self-
study. "It is now everyone's task at
UCF to make their visit as smooth and
informative as possible."
Rautenstrauch, who expressed his
thanks to the hundreds of faculty
members, staff, students and
administrators who assisted in the
self-study process, urged all members
of the UCF community to be available
Please see TEAM page 4
Next issue of The UCF Report is April28 • Deadline is noon, April 19
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