TODAY'S QUESTION: Do you think the curators' appropriations request is appropriate?

COLUMBIA — On Friday, the UM System Board of Curators finalized its request for state funding for the 2012 fiscal year.

According to a previous Missourian article, the curators asked for:

• $293.3 million for priority capital improvements
• A total appropriations request of $588 million for capital improvements throughout the four-campus system

• $124.2 million in new funds for operations for 2012

• $552.7 million overall for operations throughout the system

According to the article, Nikki Krawitz, system vice president of finance and administration, said the new money being requested for the operations budget, $124.2 million, is intended to help fund critical needs including competitive salaries, deferred maintenance, technology improvements and the education of health care professionals.

For this current year, fiscal year 2011, the system asked the state for about $519 million but received $427.9 million, Krawitz said.

At MU, top capital projects, known as Tier I projects, are renovating and adding on to the College of Engineering's Lafferre Hall on the southwest end of Francis Quadrangle. The building has been the No. 1 repair job for MU for years. 

The system is asking the state for $64.8 million to improve the building, parts of which date back to the 1800s.

At the meeting Friday, some curators expressed doubts about the large sums the system was requesting from the state. Curator John Carnahan of Springfield asked how the state's budget crisis would affect its ability to respond to the system's request.

Krawitz responded that it is important for the university to make its needs known while still being sensitive to the state's difficult budget times.

The curators approved the appropriations request at its Friday meeting. The request will be sent to state legislators in August.

Do you think the curators' appropriations request is appropriate?