Leaders of Oregon’s public universities and community colleges are asking the state Higher Education Coordinating Commission to push for a funding allocation that exceeds the governor’s 20 percent cap on spending increases for the 2015-17 budget.
A letter signed by the presidents of all seven universities and 17 community colleges said staying under the cap would not allow the institutions to meet the needs of Oregon students or legislative mandates. UO interim President Scott Coltrane is among the signatories.
“While we recognize and respect the limitations placed on the Commission by the Governor, a budget request that is capped at a 20 percent increase will not allow us to account for ongoing tuition relief, adequately prepare tomorrow's workforce and secure the necessary funds to meet Oregon's 40/40/20 goal,” the letter says. “This funding limitation will hamper our ability to increase enrollment of Oregon students and the rate of timely degree completion.”
Under the 40/40/20 mandate, the state needs to increase the share of adults with four-year bachelor’s degrees to 40 percent, the share with two-year associate’s degrees to 40 percent and those with high school diplomas to 20 percent by the year 2025. A bill adopting the goal was approved in 2011.
The letter asks for a funding recommendation of no less than $755 million for the Public University Support Fund and $650 million for the Community College Support Fund. It says the combined $1.4 billion allocation would allow the schools to make “substantial progress” toward meeting the state’s enrollment and graduation goals.
Even at that level of funding, the letter points out the Public University Support Fund still would be below the amount the legislature allocated in 2007 when adjusted for inflation. The Community College Support Fund also would be less than the inflation-adjusted amount it received seven years ago.
The letter, presented at the commission’s Aug. 14 meeting in Portland, may mark the first time all of Oregon’s higher education institutions have made a joint recommendation for state funding. The commission has to settle on a final funding recommendation this month and forward it to Gov. John Kitzhaber, who is expected to release his budget proposal in December.
At the commission’s request, the UO has identified several initiatives it would pursue with increased state investment. They include expansion of Pathway Oregon, creation of a graduation assistance grant for juniors and seniors who have exhausted financial aid opportunities, expansion of advising and counseling services to boost graduation rates and hiring tenure-track faculty.
A copy of the letter to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission is available here.
―By Greg Bolt, Public Affairs Communications