Today’s Seattle PI had a story on the Governor’s proposed budget cuts to higher education. The headline (“Gregoire’s proposed college cuts not as deep as expected”) could leave the impression that higher education was relatively unscathed.
In reality, four year colleges received a substantially greater budget cut than community colleges, with the research universities the most affected of all.
The cuts proposed in the Governor’s budget will mean real and substantial cuts in the core services of the University. Those services — things like enrollment levels, course offerings, and class sizes — are directly linked to the amount of budget support the UW receives through our state appropriation and tuition.
This week we will have an opportunity to begin testifying about the implications of reduced funding, beginning with tomorrow afternoon’s meeting of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Also, congratulations and welcome to the newest member of the Higher Education Coordinating Board — former State Senator Nita Rinehart. During her time in the Senate, Nita chaired the Ways and Means Committee. She has been a strong supporter of higher education and is a great addition to the HEC Board. After leaving the Senate, Nita was staff director for the Senate Democratic Caucus until she joined the faculty at The Evergreen State College where she continues to teach public policy.