Minutes of November 17, 2005 Meeting

	The meeting convened at 10:04 a.m. in room 817, Cathedral of 
Learning.

	UPBC members present were: Livingston Alexander, Diana Browning, 
Stephen Carr, Jerome Cochran, Richard Colwell, Irene Frieze, Carol 
Hodgkiss, Susan Kinsey, Patricia Kroboth, Ronald Larsen, James Maher, 
Angela Peskie, Arthur Ramicone, Susan Sereika, and Stephen Wisniewski.  
Also present were: Richard Henderson, Jeffrey Liebmann, Charles 
McLaughlin, Robert Pack, and Kathy Tosh.
	UPBC members not present were: James Alexander, Shirley Cassing, 
David DeJong, Christine Dollaghan, Rakshiet Jain, Brian Kelly, Arthur 
Levine, Maureen McClure, Michael Stuckart, and Thomas Wolf.

Report of the Chair

	Maher provided new members with a history of the Committee and a 
summary of recent issues.  In addition, Maher briefly explained the 
structure of the University's Planning and Budgeting System and its levels 
of committees.  Members discussed the increasing pace of change in higher 
education and its impacts on decision making.  Maher recommended that a 
separate briefing be arranged for new members on University strategic 
planning.  He differentiated between those academic issues which were 
properly addressed through academic governance processes and those that 
the UPBC appropriately dealt with.  It is important that the distinction 
be maintained to ensure that academic purview remained in traditional 
processes.  Carr agreed with the appropriateness of such a division.

Discussion of the FY 2007 Commonwealth Budget Submission

	Tosh summarized the University's FY 2007 Commonwealth budget 
submission, compared with actual appropriations budgets received in the 
past two years.  The University requested a 10% increase in the 
Commonwealth appropriation for FY 2007, predicated on limiting tuition and 
salary increases to 4%.  She added that Penn State University also 
requested a 10% increase in appropriations with a slightly higher tuition 
increase.

	McLaughlin discussed current legislation being discussed that 
could impact higher education in Pennsylvania.  The House and Senate are 
studying a taxpayer bill of rights similar to a program recently repealed 
by the state of Colorado.  He added that the Academic Freedom Initiative 
is losing support among legislators.  Pack also discussed a study 
examining the tiers of financial aid provided through the Pennsylvania 
Higher Education Assistance Agency and the realistic costs of tuition for 
students.

	The meeting adjourned at 11:17 a.m.