Pay raises: Every little bit helps, and this year's state budget has built into it a 2% across-the-board pay increase for higher education employees. That increase will begin to show up in payroll deposits at the end of July. The State Legislature also approved a one-time $350 bonus to come in October. As more details become available, we will keep you informed.

Budget update: As you may have heard, the Legislature passed a budget this year that will, for the first time in many years, provide some additional funds for higher education. That will translate into about $1.3 million for TTU. The good news is that the extra funds are expected to help keep student tuition increases lower than in years past. The difficult news is that most of the money will again go toward the mandated pay raises and increased energy and operating costs. I will be attending the Tennessee Board of Regents quarterly meeting later this month, where tuition will be set. We'll have more details in the July issue of the Tech Times.

Nursing building update: Progress on our new Nursing facility continues. I received the new architect’s rendering last week, and we expect requests for construction bids to go out within the next two weeks. Anyone is welcome to stop by my office to see the new drawings. We’re still aiming to break ground by the end of summer, and I’ll be sharing more information on a ceremony once details are available.