The Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education recognizes the importance of safe, functional, well-utilized and well-maintained facilities in supporting institutional efforts to provide exemplary programs. This principle forms the basis for the Commission's capital construction budget recommendations and prioritization for the 2009-2011 biennium. A high proportion of the physical assets supported by state government are found on the campuses of public higher education institutions throughout Nebraska. To protect this considerable investment ($2.3 billion in state-supported facilities), it is critical that institutions properly plan for the construction, efficient use and maintenance of these facilities. The Commission has identified ongoing routine maintenance and deferred maintenance as two essential areas in which state and institutional funding are needed during the next biennium. Adequate funding in these areas would provide long-term cost savings and further enhance Nebraska's higher education system. [For the 2007-2009 report, see ED604922.]