SPRINGFIELD—Although the spring tuition increase in the Board of Regents System provided additional appropriation, it was not enough to exceed last year’s, a Chancellor’s report stated.

At Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting, Chancellor Roderick Groves said, “the substantial gain was not enough to repair the damage done as a consequence of vetoes in July. We have not lost or gained any money (compared to fiscal year 1987).”

After budget cuts, Regents schools were appropriated $188.4 million. The tuition increase is estimated to add $7.2 million to FY88 appropriations bringing them up to the FY87 total of $195.6 million.

For this reason Groves said there is not any money for faculty salary increases. “Salary increases would require supplemental funding, and there isn’t any money available in general revenue funds,” Groves said.

e sympathized with the faculty and staff, encouraging them to understand where the actual fault lies. “I can very much understand the frustration of faculty and staff at having to go a full year without salary increases, and I can understand the pressures this is bringing to bear on our university administrators,” he said.

e said administrators are the “scapegoats” and are not the ones to blame. “The real problem was and continues to be insufficient state funding.”

Groves said using the veto-compensating monies raised by tuition to provide salary increases would be a major mistake. “To do so would be to break faith with the legislature, and the public would see this as evidence of either bloated budgets or irresponsible fiscal behavior.”

e said there could not be any increases because there are less real dollars than last year because of inflation.

Groves said the enrollment increase was a benefit because of the extra revenue but at the same time caused problems.

“It’s (increased enrollment) bad because we need more money for faculty, to service the needs of more students and for inflation,” he said.

LaTourette said Regents schools cannot depend on an enrollment increase to help the financial situation of universities. “We need to take this message to the legislature and ask for adequate funding to support programs and salaries, and produce a balance.”

One problem of the state’s budgeting process was addressed by Illinois State University President Lloyd Watkins. “The process of budgeting in this state is built on percentage increases in the early ‘70s.” He said this process is inadequate because it does not account for inflation. “The problems are exacerbated as the years go by, and the gap widens.”

Groves said two steps of action that need to be taken are to convince the legislature that it is imperative for the reputation and good health of the state to provide increased revenues to all levels of education.

“Second, we must gain not just equitable treatment for our universities, but funding to allow us to realize our potential,” Groves said.