The solution to offsetting declining state funds for a university has traditionally been to raise college tuition. But now, tuition has risen to the point of obstructing many students from attending college. And it threatens to keep going up unless something is done about it.
The solution to offsetting declining state funds for a university has traditionally been to raise college tuition. But now, tuition has risen to the point of obstructing many students from attending college. And it threatens to keep going up unless something is done about it.
Education seems to get tossed out the window in favor of other issues deserving legislative attention. The government prattles on about the same education-related issues every year, yet tuition continues to rise.
Unfortunately, education is a tricky topic now that so much of one’s future rides on it. A college degree should mean more opportunities, but those opportunities rarely knock anymore. And when so many people with college degrees are failing to find employment, those without degrees hardly stand a chance.
Instead of putting the education of today’s Americans on the back burner, those in a position to affect change should work toward making a college education more accessible.
In 2010, the State Board of Higher Education sought changes that would allow the Oregon University System to operate in a changing environment in a way that improves educational achievement. Senate Bill 242 was passed by the 2011 legislature and went into effect in January.
The passing of this bill ensured tuition accountability. The tuition paid by students is now guaranteed to go into supporting student instruction rather than other state agencies. While this may not help much now, it could decrease tuition costs in a few years.
In addition, the Board of Higher Education will enlist more student involvement in the setting of tuition, with the consideration of affordability.
OUS also changed from a state agency to a statewide public university system, giving it more control over costs and tuition revenues, which will hopefully make education more affordable to more students.
None of this fixes the cost of tuition right now, and some of it is not related to funding at all. However, enlisting student involvement in the setting of tuition can only be a good thing.
House Bill 3418, which was passed in June 2011, introduced the Task Force on Higher Education and Student Success.
The responsibilities of the task force include examining the best practices to ensure student and institutional success, examining methods for students to acquire career preparation skills, considering institutional barriers to completion, reviewing alternate funding options and comparing these to other states’ alternate funding options.
There will be 17 members of the task force, each appointed by the governor. One will be a member of the State Board of Higher Education; another, a member of the board of a community college district in Oregon. There will also be a faculty member from Portland State, Oregon State University or University of Oregon; a faculty member from another Oregon institution of higher education; and a faculty member from an Oregon community college.
Presidents of an Oregon institution of higher education and an Oregon community college will account for two more member positions. Additionally, there will be two members from Oregon-based businesses—one of which must represent a small business; another will be a non-faculty staff member at an Oregon institution of higher education.
To round out the task force, two members from the Oregon Senate and two members from the Oregon House of Representatives will be appointed by the leader of their legislative leaders.
Senate Bill 909, which was also passed in June 2011, establishes the Oregon Education Investment Board, which oversees a unified public education system from kindergarten to post-secondary education.
The board will then ensure that early childhood services are effective and connected to kindergarten through 12th grade education—and that the latter is effective and connects to post-secondary education.
It will also ensure that the public education budget is integrated and targeted to achieve the state’s established education outcomes, as well as provide a statewide, student-based data system that determines the return on statewide education investments.
Only 66 percent of Oregon students graduate from high school. If the state can turn out more high school graduates, then perhaps colleges will have more graduates as well. For a lot of people, the motivation for staying in school starts earlier than the college level.
There is focus on lowering tuition costs, which would decrease the number of students who have to drop out of Oregon colleges due to issues of affordability. This seems to be the biggest hurdle for the Oregon government as far as higher education is concerned.
Any improvements made now are only the beginning. Unfortunately, the cost of a college education is beginning to outweigh its value, especially with the economy as bad as it is.
With all of the monetary damage that has been done to higher education, it will take a lot of work to reverse the change. However, with what the government has done for Oregon students this year, it seems to be on the right track. It’s a good start.
But perhaps with more legislation to benefit universities, higher education in Oregon will be ready to charge ahead.
