TCU’s Board of Trustees approved a $432.9 million budget at their spring meeting Friday, which will further support institutional goals and continue providing students an excellent educational experience. The budget also supports the Board’s directives to proceed with the next phase of the University’s Vision in Action, Academy of Tomorrow. This phase will focus on three key strategic areas: academic profile and reputation; size and balance; and campus environment.

“It’s a remarkable time at TCU,” said TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. “This budget allows the University to focus on its priorities of maintaining TCU’s competitive advantage, intensifying the University’s momentum, and strengthening the student experience. We will continue to move this institution forward in a manner that maintains the quality of a world-class, values-centered university experience.”

The 2013 budget will allow TCU to:
• Fund new faculty and staff positions to support continued student success and enrollment growth
• Increase overall financial aid funded by TCU by 6.5 percent, matching the tuition increase approved in November 2011
• Enhance operating budgets for academic affairs and instructional support departments
• Provide a salary merit pool of 3 percent for faculty and staff and increase benefits by $3 million, primarily due to expected increases in health insurance and retirement expenses

In other board business, the Trustees voted to confer honorary degrees on two individuals. Mr. Jim Lehrer will receive a Doctor of Letters and Mr. Emmet G. Smith will receive a Doctor of Music. Lehrer, a former reporter for the Dallas Morning News, Dallas Times-Herald and KERA, later launched The News Hour with Jim Lehrer in 1995 and the PBS News Hour in 2009. He continues weekly as the anchor of the PBS News Hour, a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, and occasionally accepts speaking engagements. Mr. Smith has studied organ around the world and returned to TCU to serve as a professor of organ and church music for 45 years, during which time the program gained international recognition. Both will be presented at an upcoming commencement ceremony.

In other business, the University also passed a resolution to honor Jerrol “Jerry” Ray, a devoted TCU Trustee from 1992-2012. A graduate of TCU, Ray served on the Student Relations, Intercollegiate Athletics and Buildings & Grounds Committees during his tenure on the Board. He is well-respected for his leadership efforts in TCU’s Austin Alumni Board and Austin Regional Council, as well as for his service to the Rotary Club and the Helping Hand home. He has impacted his alma mater by serving as president of the TCU Alumni Association and as a member of the National Alumni Board, and has been recognized with the President’s Service Award for 1992-1994 and Valuable Alumnus Award in 1999. Ray has also generously donated time, money and his renowned horned frog collection to the University.

Additionally, the Board approved an earlier recommendation by the Executive Committee to proceed with the Circle of Excellence and Frog Alley renovations. The project includes master planning efforts to tie together the Dee. J. Kelly Alumni & Visitors Center, its nearby lawn and the Brown-Lupton University Union and create a Circle of Excellence and transform Frog Alley to a primarily pedestrian area with restricted vehicle access.

Trustees were informed that TCU has now received 19,155 applications compared to 18,928 last year and 13,856 the year before. This represents an overall increase of 1.2 percent this year, and an increase of 36.6 percent over the previous year. Out of state applications number 8,820, an 18.2 percent increase. California continues to blaze the trail for out-of-state activity, with an increase of 17 percent in applications. Illinois is poised for a breakout year with 38.1 percent in applications. Additionally, the academic profiles of the applicants are improving with increased SAT and ACT scores.

The Campaign for TCU also continues to make good progress. As of now, the campaign has brought in more than $428 million to improve the student experience. As part of the campaign, donors have contributed more than $104 million, exceeding its $100 million goal to support the scholarship initiative. There were 206 new scholarships endowed during the campaign. Of the more than 38,000 donors to the overall Campaign, 16,166 or 42 percent made scholarship gifts and 48,439 or 32 percent of the total 151,282 gifts given were for scholarships. For more information on the initiative, visit http://www.scholarship.tcu.edu/.

The next meeting of TCU’s Board of Trustees is scheduled for November 7-9, 2012.