APPLICATIONS

The University of North Carolina system is seeking a 28 percent increase from last year's budget to cover the costs of more students and other improvements at its 16 campuses. There are plans to pump up libraries, with about $20 million next year, and to improve technology, including almost $36 million next year for computer network security, data management systems and high performance computing. The University of North Carolina Board of Governors approved a budget request for the next two years that includes almost $316 million in new spending next year and $410 million in 2006-07. The request also calls for a 7.5 percent increase in academic salaries for each of the two years, adding nearly $105 million next year and $223 million in 2006-07. University leaders acknowledged that the Legislature isn't likely to approve their entire request. "It is a very large request, and we have no expectation that it can be fully funded," said UNC President Molly Broad. But Brad Wilson, the board chairman, said the board's responsibility is to tell the Legislature the university's priorities without regard to the availability of money. State leaders said it's too early to assess the university system's chances. "It's kind of like at Christmas," said Rep. Wilma Sherrill, R-Buncombe, who has served as an appropriations chairwoman. "You ask for more than you know you're going to get." The new spending requests for next year include $25 million in research programs and nearly $25 million for economic development. Broad wants the university system to become a partner with the state in helping attract business and science that would bring jobs to North Carolina. A chunk of the money would go toward educating an influx of new students. This fall, the UNC system had a record 189,615 students, and enrollment is expected to climb to more than 196,000 next year. It will cost $73 million to provide faculty and services for those extra students, according to UNC officials. By 2006-07, the enrollment growth funding estimate rises to $133 million. UNC officials are making a particular point this year of lobbying legislators to shift the system's enrollment funding budget from the annual expansion budget to its continuation budget. That would take the pressure off UNC officials who each year request funds to educate the increasing numbers of students. "I think the time for this has come," said Jim Phillips, chairman of the system board's budget and finance committee. "What we're saying is 'Don't make us fight for money just to educate the kids coming to our schools.' " UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor James Moeser doesn't expect the board's 7.5 percent salary increase request to emerge from the Legislature untouched. Still, he's hopeful that legislators will see fit to approve some sort of substantial pay increase for faculty. "For Chapel Hill, it is clearly the acute issue for us because we are competing at a national level," Moeser said. "For us, it is the critical issue. We cannot afford to be still for a single year, or we will lose ground."