Higher Education Leaders Ask for Piece of the Economic Stimulus Pie
Katharine Eneguess, President of White Mountains Community CollegeWe had a little bit of a break here at White Mountains Community College, as we, along with colleges and public schools across the nation, took some time off for the holidays. As with most colleges, the advent of the December holidays marked the end of our first semester. We are now up and running for our second semester, which, though we call it our Spring Semester, actually began on January 12.
Having that time off let us all catch up with family and friends, but now it’s time to get back to business. We have long championed via this column, the benefits to individuals as well as the community, of higher education. There are many champions out there. President Obama and his team are contemplating economic stimulus packages. Local, state and national entities are all seeking ways to get a piece of the pie. We would like to draw your attention to economic stimulus proposals/letters signed by higher education leaders across the country from both community colleges and four year colleges and universities.
The national association of community colleges submitted a proposal to the new Administration and Congress, signed by community college leaders. Richard A. Gustafson, Chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire was one of those signing the proposal. The community college proposal urges the new Administration and Congress to recognize the role played by community colleges. It states that community colleges must be at the forefront of any national effort to boost the nation’s prosperity. "In return for federal support, community colleges pledge to work in concert with national, state and regional economic goals, and to be held accountable for their results."
The community colleges economic stimulus proposal targets three areas: access and affordability; enhancing infrastructure; and preparing the workforce for high paying and high demand jobs. The first area of access and affordability urges additional funding in the amount of $3 billion to address the shortfall in the Pell Grant program. "Doing so will pave the way for future increases in the maximum Pell grant and thereby help the neediest students achieve the goal of a postsecondary education." The second targeted area, enhancing infrastructure, states that enrollment continues to grow , and the crisis in many state budgets has placed an extraordinary strain on community colleges, with many absorbing mid year cuts. One consequence is that many colleges are foregoing infrastructure upgrades, retrofitting and other capital expenditures in order to meet pressing student needs. "Collectively there is an estimated, and staggering, $100 billion of unmet need for community college infrastructure and related capital costs. To begin addressing this accumulated need, we request federal funding of $5 billion. In the short term, federal funding to support two-year community and technical college capital will temporarily invigorate local construction businesses, which would serve or possibly save job-starved communities experiencing little or no growth. In the long term, this funding will prepare community colleges to produce workers in the key industries of the future, such as alternative energy technologies and health care, for which our colleges prepare more than half of all new workers."
The third component of the proposal focuses on preparing people for high paying and high demand jobs. The nation’s unemployment rate is rapidly rising, yet across the country many employers are unable to find workers with specific skills for available jobs. "Effective and well-targeted workforce training programs remain essential to building the nation’s economy. One of the most successful federal workforce development programs is the Department of Labor’s Community Based Job Training Grant (CBJTG) program. This program provides grants to community colleges to build capacity to train workers and to develop worker skills required in high growth/high demand industries." The community colleges are requesting $1.5 billion to help build upon the program, thus helping Community Colleges fund training programs in key areas such as advanced technology, energy and health care.
The letter from four year colleges and universities asks Congress to commit five percent of the economic stimulus plan to the country’s colleges and universities, calling for a much-needed investment in our future. The letter proposes that the funds go to shovel-ready facility projects, and that those funds do not replace state funds for higher education, but supplement those funds. Among those signing the statement was University System of New Hampshire Chancellor Stephen Reno. The letter puts forth that it is not just the individual who suffers when he or she declines to pursue higher education. "Our nation is losing ground on a number of fronts critical to our future prosperity and national security. The United States has fallen from first place among nations, to tenth in the percentage of our population with higher education degrees. Without a vision for education transformation, we will continue to slide. For the first time in our history, the cohort of Americans ages 25 to 34 is less well educated than the older co-horts that preceded it. We cannot accept such dangerous signs that our future prosperity and security will be weaker than our past."
The letter further points out that in equally challenging times, bold investments were made in the higher education institutions in our country. In fact, one of those bold investments was the creation of our public institutions of higher learning. Our state agricultural and mechanical arts universities were created through the enactment of the Morrill Land-Grant College Act in 1861, a truly troubled time for the United States.
The beginning of the New Year marks more than a calendar date, it brings with it great change, and great challenges. As a nation, we will be much better off if we face the future armed with the skills and knowledge we will need to thrive.
Wishing you all a healthy and prosperous New Year!
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