Funding higher education in Montana
March 2008 - We are pretty sure the governor and board
of regents are working on a new or revised state funding
scheme for Montana higher education. If they aren't, they
should be.
Whether the two agree or not, MEA-MFT and the Montana University
System are for the first time in years ramping up negotiations
of our own for a prebudget,
pre-2009 legislature, system wide faculty compensation
plan.
As the Gazette opinion below indicates, post secondary education
is and should be a growing Montana enterprise and appropriately
funded as such.
For the record, with one exception, MEA-MFT represents faculty
at all public institutions of higher education including
four year colleges and universities, two year community
colleges, and colleges of technology.
The one exception is the faculty at MSU/Bozeman. To correct
this situation, we are right now engaged in an organizing
attempt at that institution. -
Gazette Opinion:
Growing value in higher education
March 16, 2008 - A crowd of about 300, including Gov. Brian
Schweitzer, last week celebrated the opening of a new classroom
building at Montana State University-Billings College of
Technology. The handsome, new Health Sciences Building doubled
the number of buildings on campus. It was constructed with
funding from the 2005 and 2007 Legislatures on land purchased
with donations from private businesses in Billings.
More remarkable than the building, though, is the growth
in COT enrollment - up nearly 140 percent since 2001. Last
fall's student count was 1,160 compared with 484 five years
earlier.
Investment in the COT coincides with growing recognition
of the value of two-year, post-secondary education. The
COT has expanded to meet regional needs for accessible higher
education and responsive work force development in the same
biennium that the Legislature and Schweitzer reversed a
long-term trend toward the state paying a smaller portion
of the costs of operating Montana's public colleges and
universities.
College affordability
In the summer of 2006, Schweitzer and the Montana University
System struck a great deal for students. The governor agreed
to a plan that would increase state funding so that post-secondary
schools could cover their costs for this biennium without
increasing tuition.
The two-year tuition freeze is the cornerstone of the College
Affordability Plan that ultimately was approved by the 2007
Legislature. Part of the trade-off for holding the line
on tuition was foregoing most initiatives and building projects
at individual campuses.
The first year of the affordability plan has been a godsend
to financially struggling Montana students and their families.
But it's already time to look at how affordability can be
improved or at least maintained in the next biennium.
"It's going to be tighter this year," Schweitzer
told The Gazette editorial board last week. "Nobody
should be expecting a budget like we've had for the past
two years."
In a separate meeting, Regent Janine Pease told the editorial
board that she would like to see a similar College Affordability
Plan for the next biennium. But she and Regent Todd Buchanan
agreed that regents are a long way from being able to propose
a budget for 2010-2011. The board is just beginning to look
at projected costs and revenues. Campus leaders have submitted
wish lists, knowing that not all wishes will be funded.
"We need to be very accountable with tax dollars,"
Buchanan said.
Less than half of Montana high school graduates go to college,
although most new jobs require some post-secondary education.
Among those who do attend college, only 21 percent are enrolled
in two-year institutions, putting Montana in 45th place
among the states for having nearly the lowest percentage
of college students in two-year programs.
Job training needs
"Our expanding economy is demanding job training,"
Pease said. "We need attention on higher education
in Billings. A huge amount of development should be happening
in this area."
Regents have a challenging task this year in setting priorities
for a system that must deliver quality higher education
that is affordable, accessible and responsive to needs of
students, employers and Montana communities.
Next year's challenge will be more daunting: Presenting
the case for higher education to the governor and 2009 Legislature.
