Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Bradbury visited the University last night to speak about issues important to college students — namely, the cost of higher education.
Bradbury called the education forum “Students Speak Up,” and he maintained an open dialogue with approximately a dozen students in the EMU Boardroom and others who asked questions via Facebook. Bradbury jived with ASUO President Emma Kallaway and James Manning, student government president at Lane Community College. They spoke mainly about new models for funding higher education in the state, and student politicians shared the soapbox to voice their concerns.
Kallaway said her number one priority was working out a new model for public funding of higher education.
“We know that the current model for the Oregon University System and for the Oregon community colleges is not working,” Kallaway said. “Where students used to pay one-third of their tuition and the state would pay two-thirds, we’ve now flipped that model so students are paying at least two-thirds of their tuition, and it’s a real shame. And the universities know that, and we know we’re having problems with access and we know we’re having problems with retention, especially with underrepresented groups, and a lot of that has to do with price.”
Bradbury said he was perturbed by the implications of changing the way universities are funded, but that the financial woes facing higher education demanded a dynamic approach.
“They’re now moving toward a model that would be a quasi-public corporation model for running higher education instead of a public university,” Bradbury said. “There’s a fundamental assumption underlying this that the state can no longer support higher education. We’re confronted with a really trying situation, but I challenge that basic assumption that the state can’t fund public higher education anymore. I think it’s really a sad day when we just accept that.”
Former University President Dave Frohnmayer came out recently as a major proponent of the public corporation model, which isn’t a new concept; the idea of turning universities into public corporations gained recent publicity as state spending on the Oregon University System has continued to decline. The issue will pose a major budgetary hurdle for the next Oregon governor, with state economists forecasting the necessity for budget cuts across the board.
Kallaway was not shy when given the opportunity to speak on a subject she felt strongly about.
“We need to prioritize in Oregon,” she said. “Education is a right; it is not a privilege. And I think that is something we have a big problem with in the state, is the common misconception that education should somehow be for those who can afford it or for those who push themselves hard enough to get there. But the bottom line is that Oregon needs to change our perception and start to believe again that education is a right for all Oregonians.”
Bradbury replied with a smile.
“That’s great,” he said, “Hoo! I like that.”
The forum’s attendees also addressed the issues facing Oregon community colleges, which absorb many students who can no longer afford to attend four-year universities because of rising tuition costs.
“We have a lot of people who are coming out of the workforce in the downturn of the economy, and they’re there to become a better, more productive member of society in order to take care of their families and to progress in their life,” Manning said. “It’s really difficult to do that, when not only is tuition going up, but other fees are going up with inflation. Anything that we can do to reduce the cost of tuition would be just wonderful.”
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