Higher Ed Funds May Make Ballot

Thursday, November 19 2009

Democrats hold forum to highlight higher ed challenges

Coloradoan.com
By Trevor Hughes

 Colorado taxpayers next year might be asked to vote on a plan providing additional funding for the state's public colleges and universities, but one of the men leading that effort says he's still unsure what the proposal will look like.   

 CSU Chancellor Joe Blake said most Colorado residents are so focused on their own economic situations - which he said is appropriate - that they aren't yet ready to start discussing higher education's struggles.

Blake, along with Colorado State University President Tony Frank, participated on Wednesday night in a panel discussion entitled "Why Higher Education is Critical to Colorado's Economy and Future." Also on the panel was Jim Butzek, vice president of Front Range Community College's Larimer campus, and that campus' dean of student service, Kris Binard.

The discussion drew about 80 area residents, most of who expressed their support for higher education and said they thought taxpayers ought to be contributing more.

Butzek said when he started at FRCC 10 years ago, state tax money provided about 60 percent of revenues, with tuition representing 40 percent. He said tuition now accounts for 70 percent of funding, with state support only about 30 percent.

Frank said CSU's Fort Collins campus has seen a

similar trend - tuition today is twice what it was a decade ago.

"We've done it without a vote. We've done it without a discussion," Frank said.

As he has several times in recent months, Frank said college graduates earn far more money than those without a higher education, ultimately paying far higher levels of income taxes. He said helping Colorado's residents get those degrees and earn those higher salaries is a winning investment for taxpayers.

The panel discussion, organized by Reps. Randy Fischer and John Kefalas, and Sen. Bob Bacon, all Fort Collins Democrats, aimed to help the public understand the challenges facing higher education.

Said Kefalas: "Public policy is a reflection of the values of the people who participate."

Most of the people at the discussion appeared to support increased funding for higher education. A proposal offered by an audience member to de-TABOR the entire state won loud applause, but others questioned the way CSU spends its money.

CSU history student Kelly Evans said she sees "pretty" new buildings springing up all over campus, and wondered why that's happening at the same time some of her favorite instructors have been cut and classrooms lack modern technology.

"As a student preparing to graduate, I'm looking elsewhere for my master's," she said.

Frank told Evans that 80 percent of CSU's budget goes toward people, and that the new buildings are generally being paid for with either parking or student-assessed facility fees.

Answering such questions is a prelude to the statewide funding effort. Blake in 2005 co-led the successful Referendum C campaign, and he offered a dose of reality to the audience.

"Higher education does not poll well in this state, standing alone," he said.