![Purdue University President Mitch Daniels (left) and Indiana University President Michael McRobbie (right) address lawmakers in a Senate budget hearing. - Brandon Smith/IPB](/files/wfyi/articles/current/mcdaniels-1024x683.jpg)
Purdue University President Mitch Daniels (left) and Indiana University President Michael McRobbie (right) address lawmakers in a Senate budget hearing.
Brandon Smith/IPBIndiana’s public college and university presidents made their case in a Senate budget hearing at the Statehouse for funding increases Tuesday.
Each university presentation to lawmakers generally goes the same way: the school president talks about what their school does well, how they’re improving, and then how much money they want.
In some cases, as with Indiana University’s President Michael McRobbie, the school president frets over the budget bill’s funding increases.
“I’m concerned, however, that the level of operating appropriations included in the House budget would make it extremely difficult for Indiana University … to keep tuition increases low,” McRobbie says.
Others take some issue with the state’s performance funding formula. Purdue University’s President Mitch Daniels notes that his university – with improved on-time graduation rates and a five-year tuition freeze – is the only school whose operating funds are set to decline.
“I understand, by the way, and support the idea of stability in the formula. You can’t be changing every year; at least, I wouldn’t know how. But the question is, maybe should this result be addressed in some way,” Daniels says.
Senate budget author Rep. Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) says he doesn’t know whether he’ll make changes to funding levels or the performance funding formula.