The Michigan Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education at WMU Monday

Western Michigan University President John Dunn testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, Monday in Brown Hall (Fritz Klug / Western Herald)

Western Michigan University played host to what could be considered one of the their most important fundraising events of the year: an audience with the State’s appropriations committee.

The Michigan Senate’s Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education held a hearing yesterday in Brown Hall to get an overview of what state universities have to offer and how they are dealing with the reduction in state money.

Due to the weather, only Senators Tony Stamas (R-Midland) and Tom George (R-Kalamazoo) were able to attend. The subcommittee has seven members.

George explained the state’s current budget problems and how they have effected higher education funding.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm introduced her suggestions for the 2011 budget on Feb. 12. Now the State House and Senate will begin working on it’s budget. This year, the budget is predicted to face a $1.7 billion deficit.

Over the past eight years the state’s “pie” has grown, George said, but funding for higher ed has decreased some 15 percent, among cuts in other areas. The main reason for this is Medicaid, which has increased 30 percent.

“We have shifted dollars from education to health care services,” George said. “Education used to be the single largest piece of the budget, it was the state’s top funding priority but it has become health care.”

And while so much money has been invested in health care, Michigan is still an unhealthy state.

“This is the biggest challenge of the day: how do we get a better return on out health care dollars?”

WMU President John Dunn pointed out how the reduction in state appropriations has made the university adjust some of it’s practices, including keeping administrative and health care costs down as well

But even with these practices, the diminishing state funding has had consequences for students.

Using a bowl of apples, Dunn discussed the “70/30 shift.”

“At one time [students] had three of those apples to carry, and we the people, I don’t say the state because this is more than you, we the people are asking the students to carry seven of the apples and we’re providing the other three. The consequences are dramatic.”

In 1980, 72 percent of WMU’s funding was provided by the state – in 2010 it’s 33 percent.

Dunn said that in the 1960s, a student could work full-time in the summer and still have money left over for living expenses, but now they have to borrow their way through college.

“Students who are working full time are not making enough money to pay tuition,” Dunn said.

This “generational change” has caused

“We should try and not be vague with it,” Dunn added. “It’s the way it is. We have to be big enough to say that.”

University of Michigan-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little said in his testimony that while it will be necessary to increase tuition in the coming years, the cost of a higher education is still less than the price of a new mid-range car.

Although three-fourths of U of M Dearborn’s revenue comes from tuition, they still need the state as a partner, he added.

Northern Michigan University President Les Wong spoke about how his university, NMU, has been working to increase its technological profile as well as its role in the community.

Much of the three testimonies were “points of pride” – things the university has done in the last year and recognition they have received.

TS said that hearing the testimonies helps the committee know where state funding should go.

Still, the problem remains for universities in 2010, and will likely grow in 2011.

“We need to address the overall tuition structure but still keep the door open for access,” Dunn said after the hearing. “Have we become too affordable?”

The priority of university spending was the topic of the final speaker: Robert Dunbar from Friends of Historic East Campus.

“East Campus is a crucial link to the heritage of this university,” Dunbar said. “There is overwhelming disappointment that there has been no way to integrate the buildings and grounds of East Campus with the rest of the university have been found.”

Dunbar added that he was advocating for more than “bricks and mortar” but a larger idea of the university’s historical and future identity.

“As our schools go, so goes our community and our state.”

Dunbar added that East Campus also sits on 22 acres of land that links WMU to Kalamazoo, and that with all the talk about state appropriations, it should not be forgotten who the money belongs to.

“It is the people’s money entrusted to the state to educate the young men and women of Michigan.”

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Feb 23 2010. Filed under Breaking, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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