Faculty and staff can look forward to a 3 percent pay raise following the passing of this year’s state budget and last week’s Tennessee Board of Regents’ approval of the recommendations. The effective date of the increase is pending; more information will be available after university officials participate in a conference call with the TBR next Thursday.

Colleges and universities will again foot the bill for part of the pay increase. Of the total $1.38 million it will take to provide the 3 percent raise for all our employees, TTU will have to cover 1 percent of the increase in benefits and salaries, amounting to about $460,000.

The 9.7 percent tuition increase also approved by the TBR last week will generate between $1.8 and $1.9 million for TTU, allowing the university to cover the cost of salary and inflationary operations increases (see related story).

The state also increased the current 401K match by $10 — from $20 to $30 a month. In the coming weeks, the TBR will send guidelines to campuses indicating the effective date and instructions for employees who wish to change their personal contributions.

The premier news received by the university concerning capital projects was the $15.4 million funding of our proposed new building to house the School of Nursing and Student Health Services (see related story). System-wide, $26.9 million was earmarked for capital maintenance projects at TBR schools; TTU stands in line to receive some of the 42 line items being funded this year.

More details on the pay raises will be released as soon as they are available. Watch the Tech Times for details on the 401K match, as well as other approved budget items related to capital maintenance.