David Shulenburger calls it Kansas University’s “schizophrenic behavior.”

On one hand, the university is slashing parts of its budget because of state shortfalls. On the other, it’s using additional tuition money for new services and applying private funds for such projects as an $800,000 gateway to campus at 15th and Iowa streets.

KU students are paying 25 percent more in tuition this fall, generating an additional $8.6 million in revenue plus $1.7 million in need-based financial aid.

Despite cuts in state funding about $6.1 million at the Lawrence campus, with more cuts anticipated around the first of the year Shulenburger, KU’s executive vice chancellor and provost, said the tuition increase would be used for enhancements at KU, not to “fill the gaps” left by state budget cuts.

Shulenburger this week released the breakdown for how his office intends to use the tuition money. The list includes technology and classroom improvements, salary increases for teaching assistants and tuition reimbursements for research assistants.

It also has $1 million for laboratory start-up and other costs sought by new faculty to be hired for next year. Shulenburger said he wanted to boost faculty ranks by 10 percent or about 100 faculty members with tuition money.

KU administrators and the Board of Regents have said the additional tuition money shouldn’t replace state funding. But that’s exactly what will happen, some faculty members say, when new faculty are hired while other positions remain unfilled.

“At one point you’re building on top of something that may have a pothole underneath it,” said Tom Beisecker, a professor of communication studies.

Faculty increases

Shulenburger has asked KU deans how they’d use a 15 percent faculty increase. Their proposals are due in November.

His office then will decide which faculty hires would most help KU achieve Chancellor Robert Hemenway’s goal of becoming a top-25 public research university, he said. Shulenburger also said he was optimistic the state would return to previous funding levels, allowing KU to fill many positions left vacant because of the budget cuts.

Student oversight

Meanwhile, a seven-member student committee is forming to oversee how the tuition money is spent. Jonathan Ng, student body president, said providing new services would be a priority for committee members.

“I’m just hoping we’re showing the state legislators we’re not picking up their slack with our tuition dollars,” he said.

Ng said a main focus for the committee would be advising Marilu Goodyear, vice chancellor for information services, on how to spend $2.4 million on technology improvements. Possibilities include increasing university bandwidth, online classroom resources and “student portals,” which are personalized KU home pages for students.

Cuts vs. additions

Shulenburger’s tuition announcement comes as the university prepares for another round of state budget cuts about $1.2 million as announced Aug. 15 by Gov. Bill Graves.

Shulenburger said additional layoffs may be necessary. More details will be announced in upcoming weeks, he said. The Museum of Anthropology, a Kansas Geological Survey department and a team that removes asbestos already are slated for elimination. About 22 filled and 32 unfilled positions also have been cut.

Kim Wilcox, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said it would be impossible to “totally separate” the added tuition money from the state budget cuts.

Or, as Alfred Lata, a chemistry lecturer, said: “The university budget is a pair of pants with a bunch of pockets. If you don’t get it out of one pocket, you’ll get it out of another.”

Private money raised by the KU Endowment Association’s $500 million capital campaign also has some confused. Administrators and faculty are trying to explain to students the differences between private and public money.

“The Malott money (to fund the gateway at 15th and Iowa) has become a lightning rod for concerns about the (KU Endowment) campaign,” Beisecker said. “The money will be used for the purposes for which it was given. Sometimes we may not agree with the decisions other people make, but most of the time we will.”