After lean years in the 1980s, state officials are spending lots more money on the state-supported universities in Ames, Cedar Falls and Iowa City. Frank Stork is the executive secretary of the Board of Regents — the board which oversees the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. For the second year in a row, the Legislature and the Governor approved enough money to provide three-percent salary hikes for university faculty and staff. Policymakers also approved big projects for the schools, like a new plant science center at Iowa State, a new public health college at the University of Iowa and a masters in social work program at the University of Northern Iowa. The legislature approved making 25-million dollars worth of capital improvements at the three, state-supported Universities in the year 2001. Governor Vilsack vetoed those projects, as he objected to setting such sizable budget priorites so far in advance.
