The state legislature approved its 2001-2003 capital budget on June 20 allocating $103 million to Washington State University for eight major and minor works projects. Lawmakers targeted the state funding to follow WSU’s top priority list, allowing the university to design or construct projects on several campuses. The budget proposal, however, still awaits the governor's signature (as of 5 p.m. Thursday).

WSU President Lane Rawlins and WSU executive budget director Karl Boehmke described it as a "great" capital budget.

"When you consider the constraints on total state spending and the many competing demands, this is a very good capital budget," said Boehmke. "It compares favorably with what universities in other states are investing in facilities. It is a demonstration of the Legislature’s support for WSU."

Major projects that received funding in the 2001-2003 biennial capital budget include:

* Energy Plant, WSU Pullman, $23 million. This project calls for the design and construction of a safe, reliable energy-efficient power generation system to replace the existing one, which is about 70 years old. It also allows for a partnership between the university and private industry. In short, the plant will produce more electricity than the university can use, with excess production to be sold by the private industry partner.

Rawlins praised the Legislature for providing funding for the university’s power plant project and allowing WSU to work in a creative, mutually beneficial partnership with private industry.

"This is an important project that will help us reduce our energy consumption costs, insulate us from the drastic energy price increases we have seen recently, and help alleviate the region’s energy shortage."

* Media/Electronic Communication Classroom Building, WSU Vancouver, construction,$15.9 million. This building will provide facilities such as high-tech classrooms, a multimedia production lab, photography darkrooms, and computer laboratories to focus on how graphics and design treatment influences communication learning.

* Murrow Hall, addition/construction, WSU Pullman, $10.9 million. This will provide a 24,022-square-foot addition for the Murrow School of Communication building, which has reached full capacity for handling students.

* Shock Physics Building, construction, Pullman, $10.6 million. This project will create a home for WSU’s Institute for Shock Physics program, which analyzes the collision of materials. For example: faculty and students analyze what happens when highly accelerated molecules collide with specific targets. When that collision occurs, sensors and recording equipment analyze the changes occurring at the molecular and atomic levels. This program is currently recognized as one of the leaders in the nation in this field.

* Johnson Hall, addition for plant biosciences, design, Pullman, $3.5 million. This is the first phase of a major effort to replace outdated space with modern laboratories and to house the College of Agriculture’s expanding programs in this field.

* WSU Spokane Academic Building, design, $2 million. WSU officials were please in the final days of the Legislature when the Senate urged the House to insert $2 million for the design of the Spokane Academic Building and indicated that it would support it. This building will be the centerpiece of the Riverpoint campus, allowing WSU Spokane to unite all its programs – with the exception of nursing – at the Riverpoint site. Plans call for the building to be constructed under the 2003-05 biennial budget.

* Student Services Center, design, WSU Vancouver, $1.5 million. This project will provide a reception area, offices and conference rooms for student services on the Vancouver campus.

* Campus Infrastructure, WSU Pullman, $11.5 million. This includes a number of projects including improvements to roads, utilities and paths.

Unfunded was the $10.2 million construction of the Cleveland Education Addition on the Pullman campus. The design phase of this project already has been completed.

Minor projects that received funding include:

* Facility improvement, preservation and safety projects, Pullman, $13 million.
* Equipment omnibus appropriation, $6 million.
* WSUnet Infrastructure, design and construction, $4 million.
* Minor capital projects, all branch campuses, $1 million.