As students head back to college campuses and freshman learn how to navigate their classes and first real experience with bureaucracies, higher education in Washington and in many states is facing a crisis. There are more people who both want to attend college and more that need to get higher education to stay competitive in a difficult and competitive economy.
Since higher education is a discretionary part of the state budget, it is a target for budget cutting. The state's colleges and universities have experienced this in the last budget cycle that we are now in the middle of. Next year's budget does not bode well for higher education funding either.
Other issues include the never ending cost increases that place a significant burden on middle and lower income students and parents. Too many graduates are coming out of school with large debt loads. Many of these young people are having a difficult time finding work, sometimes due to majors that do not translate well into the business world or only relevant for lower paying jobs.
The community college system is seeing large demand for job seekers looking to upgrade skills or retrain for emerging industries, such as cleantech or other "green" jobs (which are loosely and poorly defined).
Combine that with the fact that too many students are entering college unprepared in math, reading and writing requiring remediation--although this problem could be solved by improving the K-12 system. But that is for a future post.
The options appear limited. One standard idea is to allow higher eduation institutions to raise tuition, while also increasing financial aid. Another is to make higher education a higher priority in the state budget. That entails difficult political choices since it means cutting health care and social services, where the special interests there will lobby hard against cuts.
The flip side is that higher education has been less than accountable for its performance. Like K-12, systemic reform is needed to create higher value for students, parents and the state. The tech industry has been strong advocates for higher education, particularly around STEM degree production. But when universities do not act in accordance with what the legislature sets forth in the state budget, an erosion of confidence occurs.
Governor Gregoire knows there is a problem and has formed a Higher Education Funding Task Force, chaired by Microsoft's Brad Smith. See the announcement: http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=1543&newsType=1.
The Prosperity Partnership, of which WTIA is an active participant, has reactived their Higher Education Working Group that was very effective a few years ago in getting new dollars into higher education with specific STEM degree targets. See the link to their page with some relevant information about the need for more higher education: http://www.prosperitypartnership.org/foundation/education/index.htm
There is much more to say on this topic and futre posts will let you know what the Governor's task force recommends. WTIA will remain engaged in supporting higher education and advocating for both reform and funding.