The Illinois Board of Higher Education recommended a 7 percent faculty salary increase to the state legislature, despite concerns over lack of state money.

The IBHE approved a Fiscal Year 1992 budget recommendation totalling over $2 billion Jan. 8 in a meeting at the Westin Hotel in Chicago.

The FY92 recommendation represents an 8.9 percent increase over the FY91 appropriations, a nearly $168 million jump.

owever, the request came two days before the Illinois Comptroller’s report that the available balance in the Illinois General Funds is well short of previous projections.

Comptroller Roland Burris issued a report that the balance in the funds was $76 million at the end of December, 1990. This is the lowest December total since December, 1982.

The funds total falls short of the August, 1990 estimate of $150 million and the revised October estimate of $115 million.

At the IBHE meeting, Faculty Advisory Council Chairman John Cownie was pleased with the salary increase but anticipated problems getting the state to allocate more funds for higher education.

Cownie mentioned past state funding decisions as “a sign of a very tough political climate that has been so hard on higher education.”

IBHE Executive Director Richard Wagner said the board needs to make every effort to ensure funding for higher education is not cut sharply. This includes encouraging the state to continue the income tax surcharge instead of letting it expire this June, he said.

Included in the budget was a 5 percent tuition increase recommendation for Illinois colleges and universities.

Another item within the approved budget was a 8.3 percent increase for university operations, containing a $27 million increase for undergraduate education. Also included is a $9.2 percent increase in state money for community colleges and a 12 percent increase in the need-based Monetary Award Program of student financial assistance.