Highlights of the College Park Senate meeting on April 1, 2004

1. Due to work needing to be completed, there will be an additional senate meeting on May 3^rd.

2. Task group reports. Mentioned last time, see the reports on the University Senate website: www.senate.umd.edu/.

Task group on financial planning. Major impact to department may be the discussion on grad student tuition. Currently GRAs pay instate tuition and generally only one 899 credit. Idea floated that maybe grad students pay full-time tuition. This may have an impact on research grants.
Task group on graduate student success
Task group on fund raising

3. Dr. Mote's report

Good news: Budget process running smoothly this year in Annapolis. No cuts from Governor's proposed university budget.
Bad news: Flat budgets: No increase from last year and university has to absorb 2.5% merit + COLA increase. (About $36M deficit out of state allocation of $330M). COLA may not be 1.6%. It may be a flat dollar increase. (Mote did not know amount.) Also governor, state senate and state house of delegates don't agree on slots, tax increases and no tax increases. Could be a disaster if they don't agree.

Marv Zelkowitz