Message to the ODU Community from Acting President Broderick on the FY 2010 Budget

Dear Colleagues,

With the conclusion of a busy 2009 General Assembly session, the amended budget for fiscal year 2010 was released by the Conference Committee this past weekend.

Old Dominion University received $12.8 million in one-time federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to mitigate the need for significant tuition and fee increases for in-state students and to offset on a one-time basis some of the FY2010 budget reductions.

The federal stimulus funds had a significant impact on our state and university budgets. Although this was a one-time allocation, these funds will help support our immediate resource needs. All in all, Old Dominion University fared well in this budget session and will benefit from the following allocations:

• $1.4 million increase in state financial assistance for in-state undergraduates for a total of $15.8 million. This represents a 9.5 percent increase over last year.
• $2.1 million for modeling and simulation education.
• The Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium (VCERC), led by ODU, is to have at its disposal 100 acres in coastal waters for offshore research, with all royalties from any offshore leasing sales in the state.
• Capital projects: ODU was granted authority to move forward on further developing the design documents for the Systems Research and Academic Building, and to convey the current president's house to the ODU Real Estate Foundation in order to reconstruct the facility.
• $4 million of the $6 million in general funds was restored for the Eminent Scholars Program. ODU previously received approximately $285,474 in Eminent Scholar matching funds.
• $15 million in federal stimulus funds was set aside for the purpose of building maintenance at state agencies and higher education institutions. It is expected that ODU will receive a portion of these maintenance reserve funds.

We have many folks to thank for their support during the session, and I would encourage you to write and thank our Governor, the Secretary of Education and your legislators for their support of Old Dominion University and of higher education in general.

In addition, I would like to thank the members of the Board of Visitors who lent their support during the process. Also, special thanks to Jim DeAngio, Bob Fenning, and Deb Swiecinski for their efforts in helping us.

Sincerely yours,

John R. Broderick

Acting President