Texas State has begun competing against the seven other emerging research institutions for state dollars through the Texas Research Incentive Program, a fund established by the legislature in 2009 to boost the prestige of universities in Texas.

Texas State submitted four different research projects to be assessed by the state since becoming eligible in mid-January. The first-come-first-serve program matches private donations aimed at research for tier-two schools. If approved, the projects will bring in more than $500,000 in state dollars to the school, according to documents provided by the Office for University Advancement.

However, some officials are voicing concerns Texas State will not see any funds from the program. Questions linger about whether or not a budgetary shortfall will prohibit the state from reimbursing the program during the next legislative session.

University President’s Cabinet officials held a public hearing Monday to present a proposed tuition increase to a small group of students in attendance.

The proposal includes a 3.95 percent tuition increase for spring 2013 and academic year 2014-2015 and a bus fee increase of $17. The Board of Regents will vote on the measure at its next meeting May 23-25.

Bill Nance, vice president of finance and support services, said the tuition increase is necessary to patch a $4.5 million hole left from a budgetary shortfall in the past legislative session. Designated tuition will increase from $167 per scheduled credit hour to $177.63 next spring and up to $188.68 by the academic year 2014-2015.

“Designated tuition is the most adaptable type of funding,” Nance said. “It can go almost anywhere in the university.”

Current students’ tuition is funding four accounts President Denise Trauth uses for a variety of expenses, such as food in her suite at home football games, a $1,000 monthly car allowance and a cable subscription at her home and office.

These four accounts include the President’s Office and President’s contingency accounts, which are used for travel and office expenses. Also included is the Special Projects Discretionary account for events involving the president, and the Residencies/Apartments fund, which is used for maintenance and utilities at Trauth’s on-campus home. This last account is the only one used by other departments.

In addition to Trauth’s annual salary of $366,616.92, the accounts have a combined operating budget of $328,682.69, according to records obtained by The Star.

Trauth said every expense is made cost-efficiently and must be signed off by Dorothy Evans, director of Special Projects.

Medical professionals hope for proper use of a popular pill they say could make or break a college career for a student with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Adderall — a stimulant prescribed for ADD, which affects about 13 percent of teenagers — is the second most common prescription written for students by on-campus medical providers, according to records obtained from the Student Health Center. Adderall, a mixture of amphetamines, was prescribed 4,330 different times for students between June 1, 2009 and Nov. 11, 2011, according to the records.

Dr. Emilio Carranco, director of the Student Health Center, said raw numbers can sometimes be misleading. This is because some medications such as Adderall must be prescribed each month, resulting in 12 different prescriptions each year for the same student.

Members of the Texas State University System Board of Regents have donated a combined total of $245,126 to Gov. Rick Perry.

Eight of nine voting members on the Board of Regents donated to Perry’s gubernatorial campaign fund — Texans for Rick Perry. Perry appoints all of the public university regents, who are influential administrators within a university system.

The regents meet quarterly to make budget decisions and set tuition and fees for each of the universities in the system. They set the salary of administrators, determine degree programs and approve Campus Master Plans.

Texas State University System regents are not paid a salary, but the title results in including travel reimbursements and may include reserved seating at athletic events at certain universities.

Students who have grown accustomed to websites like YouTube and Facebook might find themselves searching for a different place to connect with friends if one of two anti-piracy bills is passed into federal law, according to lawmakers and technology experts.

The Stop Online Piracy Act and the PROTECT IP Act are similar bills aimed at preventing online copyright infringement. Opponents say the bills, if passed, will target legitimate websites rather than copyright violators, impeding innovation and free speech. SOPA and PIPA are currently on hold in the U.S. House and Senate, but have not been completely negated and can be reintroduced for lawmakers to consider.

Much of the support of the two proposed bills has been from media companies in the movie and music industries.

Supporters of the bill argue companies should be in charge of scanning their information-sharing websites, rather than the copyright owners, to ensure laws are being followed.

Full-time positions at Texas State have not kept up with student enrollment. This discrepancy is causing some growing pains for departments like custodial services in their attempt to streamline operations.

Fermin Torrez, custodial services supervisor, said the total number of custodians, about 100, has not changed in the past two years.  Student enrollment has increased by 3,310 students in the last two years, according to statistics from Institutional Research.

He said the growth of the university has led to a need for outsourcing staff, expanded responsibilities for custodians and less cleaning time for classrooms. Torrez said restrooms, hallways and entranceways have taken priority over classrooms because of the high usage rates. He said classrooms get cleaned about once a week instead of once a day because they are not empty as often a change enacted a few years ago..

The enrollment boom has brought an influx of diversity at Texas State the past five years. While faculty and administrators remain predominantly Caucasian, officials say the university has significantly grown in diversity and will continue to focus on the initiative.

Among the 75 administrators, 80 percent reported their race as Caucasian in 2011, according to statistics provided by Institutional Research. As for faculty, 73 percent reported Caucasian with the second largest ethnic group being Hispanics, at 10 percent.

A wave of controversy followed the proposed addition to the Texas State Golf Course, and now it has been slashed from the Campus Master Plan following a new design to the Aquarena Springs Railroad Overpass.