Higher education hit too hard
It’s disheartening to see the vicious cycle in which the state’s
higher education system has fallen, and which will continue to
deepen if state leaders stay on this path.
As reported in the Pinnacle this week, state leaders are taking
drastic measures to eliminate the $26 billion deficit this fiscal
year, including an array of cuts to university and college systems
that include vast enrollment reductions, higher fees and furloughs
for employees.
Higher education hit too hard
It’s disheartening to see the vicious cycle in which the state’s higher education system has fallen, and which will continue to deepen if state leaders stay on this path.
As reported in the Pinnacle this week, state leaders are taking drastic measures to eliminate the $26 billion deficit this fiscal year, including an array of cuts to university and college systems that include vast enrollment reductions, higher fees and furloughs for employees.
Addressing educators’ compensation – which also can have the negative effect of prompting high-quality professors to leave California – and increasing students’ fees makes sense in such horrendous economic times.
But allowing the measurable quality and reach of the state’s higher education systems to decline so drastically stands to set a rickety foundation for California’s future economy and the strength of its workforce. There is a direct, undeniable correlation between the education systems’ strength and the quality and breadth of workers – in the short and long term – whom these universities and colleges train.
And the timing couldn’t be worse.
The viciousness of the cycle hits high gear when you consider demand has spiked for higher education with the economy in the tank and so many people out of work. So there are more citizens seeking to advance their skills and focus their abilities, but there are fewer seats – the CSU system just announced its plan to cut enrollment by 35,000 students – available in the classrooms.
Gavilan College serving San Benito County is a prime example of the injustice in targeting these systems.
Especially in these tough times, when public or private universities are getting too costly for an increasing number of residents, community colleges such as Gavilan offer an affordable transition for students while also providing some of the high-demand vocational training – nursing, for example – not offered at some traditional schools.
Gavilan administrators are in the position of having record enrollment demand while being forced – due to state cuts – to drastically reduce class offerings and raise fees. It’s not the worst problem imaginable, but it does send a message that support lacks for the types of institutions and programs with the legs to help California trudge its way out of this mess.
In simple terms, state leaders aren’t helping the situation. They’re hurting it because the state is setting itself up to have a less prepared, less marketable generation of workers on its hands.
