Slowly but surely
The first indications of what kind of state funding awaits Central Michigan University in the fall are beginning to emerge.
And it's relatively good news.
With Michigan's budget crisis ongoing, it would seem any increase in funding would be a positive for CMU.
The three legislative bodies have the same idea - an increase in funding is in order. Each of the three approved plans would increase the funding to the state's 15 public universities by an average of 3 percent.
Now, it is up to the Michigan House, Senate and Gov. Jennifer Granholm to come up with a compromise that will benefit each university equally.
Last year, the same numbers came up early in the discussions, but CMU ended up receiving a 1.6 percent increase.
If the House gets its way this year, CMU ends up with a 3.1 percent increase - a 2.5 percent increase from last year's appropriation.
The Senate wants a flat 3 percent increase for every university, while Granholm's calls for a 2.3 percent increase for CMU, and gives the university the most money of any other.
CMU Budget models for the 2008-2009 fiscal year do not take state funding into account, using last year's budget as a template for what to expect from the state.
If an increase does occur, CMU would be left with a larger budget, and it would be up to University President Michael Rao to appropriate the extra funds.
Although budget cuts from 2002-2005 have made for a rough recovery, most of the trouble is in the rearview mirror.
The university has absorbed most of its cuts by now and is looking toward the future.
This is where Rao comes in.
CMU 2010 plans to make learning a top priority, enhance diversity and research, provide for the public good and strengthen CMU's integrity.
With this proposed budget increase, CMU could make some progress on those initiatives and move on to fulfilling the ultimate ideals Rao and his administration have in mind.
However, a lot can change between now and October. Some experts say the proposed increases do not align with the amount of money coming into Michigan due to the all-too-familiar struggling economy.
These hiccups in revenue could affect both K-12 funding and the general fund, which includes but isn't limited to community colleges, prisons, health care and of course universities.
Increases are better than decreases, however, and it's a step in the right direction that an increase, however small, is in order.
