Deferred maintenance emerges as higher ed state budget priority

Indiana’s public universities are seeking millions of dollars in state support for a host of capital projects on their campuses, but the state’s Commission for Higher Education wants lawmakers to concentrate funding in the next budget cycle on deferred-maintenance projects.

The State Budget Committee heard from the leaders of the state’s public universities and several state agencies Tuesday and Wednesday regarding what they want to see end up in the Indiana’s biennial budget, which covers the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years.

The agency recommended funding support for the top-priority projects for each of the state’s public colleges. Six involve overdue renovation projects and one is a new building on Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus. 

Their recommendations total $464 million in capital projects, including $212 million for electrical and mechanical improvements and $36.5 million for equipment upgrades. A new center on Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus was the only new building the agency recommended for funding. 

Not every project universities sought funding for received the commission’s blessing. 

Citing her university’s growing enrollment and credential growth, Ivy Tech Community College President Sue Ellspermann urged lawmakers to invest more money in the system’s infrastructure. The current funding pace is not sufficient, she said, and it would take 38 years for capital funding to reach all of Ivy Tech’s 19 campuses.

Indiana University President Pamela Whitten echoed Ellspermann’s concern that one project per budget cycle is not enough for a college system with multiple campuses. 

“That’s something that we grumble about,” she said. “We have five regional campuses … and yet we are held to the same expectation of one project as one campus with 8,000 students.”

The final budget will be passed in April. 

Ivy Tech Community College

The college’s top priority is a $67.1 million investment in the Terre Haute campus for major facility and safety upgrades. Health sciences and nursing programs would share a newly renovated space. The Commission for Higher Education recommended the project for funding.

At the Evansville campus, the college is asking for $35 million to build a new School of Healthcare Sciences and improve other labs. The appropriation would also expand the automotive lab and repurpose underused labs for Industry 4.0 and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Returning to lawmakers is a proposal for $15 million in improvements at the Michigan City campus. The project would demolish an existing building and build an addition that would increase offerings for advanced manufacturing and information technology. 

Each project is expected to reduce operating costs.

Indiana University

IU’s capital projects wish list is focused on renovating and improving the science-focused labs and classroom spaces across its campuses, especially at its flagship campuses in Bloomington and Indianapolis. 

The university’s top priority is securing $96 million for renovations and upgrades at the Bloomington campus’ science facilities. Primarily, the funding would revamp research labs, instructional classrooms and academic support spaces in the Biology Building. It also would support mechanical and system upgrades there and in other surrounding science-related spaces.

The Commission for Higher Education also recommended the project for funding.

At the Indianapolis campus, IU’s requests include $89 million for campus infrastructure renovations and $65 million for the second phase of a science lab addition. The new building is planned to be an 80,000-square-foot lab and research facility southwest of the existing Science and Engineering Laboratory Building on North Blackford Street. 

Purdue University

Purdue’s primary capital project is the only new building project the Commission for Higher Education recommended for any university

The university seeks $90 million to build its $160 million Life Sciences Research Building project in West Lafayette. The other $70 million was secured through contributions and other university funds. 

As part of its One Health life sciences investment, the 40,000-square-foot facility will house the Institute for Cancer Research and other similar research efforts. Construction is planned to begin in spring 2026. 

The university is also requesting $19 million for a renovation of its student union library, although the project was not mentioned in President Mung Chiang’s presentation.