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Office of the Chancellor

State budget impact on NC State

September 25, 2023

NC State community,

You may have seen in the news over the weekend that the North Carolina General Assembly approved the state’s new spending plan last week, and Governor Cooper has indicated he will allow it to become law without his signature.

I am pleased to share that this budget recognizes NC State’s immense value to North Carolina with significant investments in our campus that will have transformative impacts on our students, faculty, staff, programs and facilities for decades to come.

We are tremendously grateful for the support of the legislature and their commitment to NC State’s mission and future success.

Importantly, this budget includes much-needed salary increases for our hardworking faculty and staff. Our employees will receive an across-the-board salary increase of 4% this year and a 3% increase next year, for a total of 7%.

The budget provides vital funding for NC State to expand educational and research opportunities by investing in the growth of existing programs and funding new initiatives, including:

  • $10 million in recurring funding for “Engineering North Carolina’s Future,” a legislative initiative supporting the expansion of the College of Engineering by 40% over the next several years.
  • $5.5 million in recurring funding to expand the College of Veterinary Medicine class size from 100 to 125 students in each cohort.
  • $6 million in ongoing support to establish an education and workforce pilot program within our College of Education for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • $4 million in nonrecurring funding to support agricultural education in middle and high school programs through the NC FFA.
  • $1 million in continuing funds to support the work of the statewide Small Business and Technology Development Center, the business extension arm of the UNC System, administratively housed here at NC State.
  • Recurring funding for NC State to partner with SAS on an agricultural research platform to enrich research initiatives and support future grant opportunities.
  • Funding to support various other initiatives, including the work of the NC Clean Energy Technology Center, research done by our Christmas Tree Genetics Program, and a green industry economic impact study to be performed by our College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The North Carolina General Assembly also recognized the importance of providing students with a world-class learning environment. The budget reflects a substantial commitment to fund the construction of new learning spaces and the repair and renovation of specified existing buildings, including:

  • $200 million for a new Engineering Classroom Building to support the extensive growth in our College of Engineering.
  • $70 million for a Large Animal Hospital at the College of Veterinary Medicine, a $120 million total project where we will provide the other $50 million in funding as a match for the state’s investment.
  • $28 million for our Integrative Sciences Building, the last tranche of the state’s matching funding for this $180 million project.
  • $80 million for Dabney Hall phase 2 renovation; in the last budget, we received $60 million for the initial phase, a total of $140 million in renovations for the building.
  • $63 million for Polk Hall phase 2 renovation; in the last budget, we received $10 million for a total of $73 million in renovations.
  • $30 million for Mann Hall phase 2 renovation, previously having received $11.5 million for a total of $41.5 million in renovations.
  • $4.5 million in planning funds for a new Poole College of Management building.
  • $3 million to conduct a study to assess the feasibility of establishing an advanced nuclear research reactor at NC State.
  • $2.5 million in one-time funding for renovation of the Man-in-Simulant-Test lab located in the Textile Protection and Comfort Center in the Wilson College of Textiles.

You will hear more details in the months ahead as these investments, and others not listed here, begin making an impact on our campus.

The state’s extraordinary commitment to our university is a testament to our greatest asset — our people. The hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff, and the spirit, drive and creativity of our remarkable students make this university special.

Thank you for all you do for NC State.

Go Pack,

Randy Woodson
Chancellor