Board of Regents (BOR) President Mark Ojakian, believes a reassessment of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s recent budget recommendation is necessary, before further action is taken.
“We’re going to have to assess the impact institution by institution and the system as a whole. Clearly, if the budget was enacted, as it was proposed today, it would create some issues around access and affordability and quality at our institutions,” said Ojakian to the Hartford Courant.
Ojakian oversees all 17-institutions under the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) system. At no point should budget alterations impact the credibility of this state’s institutions or the degrees issued – regardless the reasoning.
Gov. Malloy’s proposed $26 million budget recommendations and its repercussions, must be dissected and analyzed on every level. Ojakian explained to the Hartford Courant, the state’s university systems along with its students should be a top priority for legislation.
The idea these funds could be restored from elsewhere, such as increased tuition and fees, was proposed. Ojakian stated to the Hartford Courant that if to happen, institutions under the CSCU system would become unaffordable. “We have a different demographic make-up than other higher education institutions,” consisting largely of middle to lower-income students.
These budget cuts are simply unacceptable – these recommendations need to be revised with colleges and universities in mind.
The recommendations were initially planned to impact workers’ healthcare, retirement and benefits state-wide. According to The CT Mirror, the target recently changed to colleges and universities.
In a statement to The CT Mirror, the governor’s budget chief Ben Barnes said, “An amount based on the judgment of the legislature, not an amount that has some basis in the cost of their employees.”
The state’s colleges and universities’ fate should not depend on legislation, this will inevitably be disastrous. Legislatures aren’t familiar with the institutions, their tuitions and fees, or the funds needed to maintain credibility and a progressing establishment.
At the same time the budget recommendations were proposed, Gov. Malloy offered institutions under the CSCU system $2.3 million incentives, if they promote the state’s efforts to increase enrollment of low-income students.
This is simply adding insult to injury. Institutions under the CSCU system, with the proposed recommendations, will not be able to increase enrollment of low-income students – or any students for that matter.
Representative Roberta Willis (D-Salisbury), said to the Hartford Courant, “Higher education always gets cut, it’s the whipping boy it seems.”
We at The Recorder firmly agree with Ojakian that a reassessment of Gov. Malloy’s budget recommendations is needed. The fate of colleges, universities, their credibility and ability to provide affordable and proper education, should not be compromised or left in the hands of legislation. It is time to stop using higher education as “the whipping boy,” and start treating it as the priority it is.