Officials are tightlipped about the budget plan they will present to the Board of Regents at a special meeting today.
Wynn Goering, special assistant to President Louis Caldera, said UNM administrators are not releasing their budget recommendation until the meeting.
He said the University's recommendation will be somewhere within the budget options presented at the Budget Summit on April 1. The scenarios propose an 8 percent to a 12 percent tuition increase.
Last week, they prepared their recommendation to the regents and tried to react to the response of the delegate and public opinion on the budget, Goering said.
People at the Budget Summit were surveyed about what tuition level people thought was appropriate and, within that, what were appropriate expenditures.
From the survey, it was clear faculty representatives wanted more compensation, and student representatives wanted funds to go into student services, Goering said.
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"We're trying to make a goodfaith response to what we heard," he said.
They have also tweaked the budget plans, he said.
David Harris, executive vice president for business and finance, and UNM President Louis Caldera will present a budget proposal.
Harris said they are looking for reactions from the regents and will go with their recommendation. They will share the results of the survey with the regents, he said.
"I have a feeling several of the regents will have new scenarios to put on the table," Harris said, although he said he has no idea what they are.
Jamie Koch, chairman of the board, said he'll share his ideas Monday.
"I'm not telling anybody what I've got," he said.
He said he has a lot of questions for the University, and the regents will make some decisions on Monday and go on from there.
Student regent Rosalyn Nguyen said she's not hinting to any scenario right now.
She said she will keep the student perspective in mind and concentrate on getting student programs and services funded.
"As much money as possible needs to be put toward student programs," Nguyen said.
She said her biggest priority was to keep tuition as low as possible, but students need to realize they are working with in the limitations of the budget given to the University from the state.
Harris and Caldera will not share any of the other options delegates presented at the Budget Summit.
"How can anyone predict what it will be in the end?" Harris said.
He said it depends on how persuasive groups are when they present their budget plans. The meeting today is a special regents meeting for the purpose of looking at the University's budget for the next fiscal year. The meeting is open to the public.
