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Content posted prior to 2020. Will not be remediated for accessibility unless specifically requested.

Another Budget Blow to Public Higher Ed in CA

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Today, newly elected California Governor Jerry Brown released his first . The 2011-12 budget proposes over $12.5 billion in spending cuts and over $12 billion in new revenue generation to close an existing deficit of over $25 billion.

Cuts include 10 percent pay reductions for state workers, cuts to Medi-Cal and Welfare, and, notably, only months after the Legislature approved a that restored some previously cut funding for public institutions.

Specifically, the budget proposes cutting the UC system by $500 million (17%), the CSU system by $500 million (18%), and community colleges by $400 million (6.5%).

UC President that, if enacted, this budget would mean the state’s annual contribution per student would be less than the portion paid by students and their families for the first time in California’s history. We crossed this same threshold in Washington State for the first time in 2009.

Gearing up for the 2011 Legislative Session

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Today, the Office of State Relations and the Office of Planning and Budgeting held a legislative session overview for folks across campus who are frequently called upon to respond to requests for information during session, including providing feedback on proposed bills, completing fiscal note responses, or working with state relations to testify or answer questions in Olympia.

Please visit our to view or print all four presentations that were made this afternoon, to access the 91探花BillTracker, and other documents and presentations relating to the State budget process.

Also make sure to subscribe to and to the for regular updates throughout Session and beyond.

WA Higher Education Task Force Report Released

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Last summer, Governor Gregoire created a Higher Education Task force, comprising both public and private leaders, and charged them with proposing a new funding strategy for public higher education, as well as new ideas for increasing institutional accountability. The Task Force released its yesterday, January 3rd, recommending three major reforms to higher education policy in Washington State.

First, the group suggested that tuition setting authority be given to the universities to help make up for budget cuts from the legislature. Based on their proposal, the institutions would use a formula to determine appropriate tuition rates, taking into account state appropriations, tuition at peer institutions, and enrollment levels.

Second, the Task Force proposed the creation of a Washington Pledge Scholarship Program, which would be funded by private donors. They hope the fund would reach $ 1 billion by the end of the decade. Corporations would receive a tax credit for donating, although that benefit would not kick in until overall tax revenue returned to 2008 levels.

Third, they recommended that the state give cash incentives to universities that meet certain degree production targets. In addition, they encourage universities to make plans to reach retention goals set forth by the state.

Finally, the Task Force listed other money-saving strategies, such as including more online introductory-level classes, developing three-year degrees, giving more credit for college-level work done in high school and at other institutions, and eliminating underused degree programs.

Make sure to check the for a round-up of some of the local press coverage relating to this report.

Recent Grads Affirm Value of College Education

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Mirroring , the American Council on Education (ACE) released results from a survey of recent college graduates that confirms a high level of satisfaction with the quality and utility of American higher education, but also reflects a growing sense that students and families should take more responsibility for paying for higher education.

Among the findings:

  • 89 percent believed their education was worth it鈥攅ven after considering the time and money required to attend.
  • 28 percent said that preparing a student for a career was the primary goal of a higher education, while 31 percent said that learning to think critically was the most important role.
  • 40 percent stated that the student and family should be primarily responsible for funding a higher education, followed by the federal and state governments.

Governor’s 2011-13 Capital Budget Would Fund Odegaard Undergraduate Learning Center Renovation

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The Governor’s 2011-13 proposed Capital Budget includes $19.5 million in state building construction funds for a renovation to the Odegaard Undergraduate Learning Center. In addition, the Governor appropriates 91探花student-generated building fee funds for a variety of projects, including a $4.8 million High Voltage Infrastructure Improvement Project and $25.8 million for preventive maintenance and building repairs.

This Governor’s Capital Budget is the first of many we will see out of Olympia during the upcoming legislative session. Session starts on Monday, January 10, 2011.

A is available on our website.

Happy Holidays from the editors of OPBlog! We will be taking a few days off, but will return in full force next week.

Why Does College Cost So Much?

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We’ve the new book Why Does College Cost So Much? by two economists from the College of William and Mary, Robert Archibald and David Feldman. The authors have made a compelling argument that increasing higher education costs are not the result of institutional dysfunction, but of broader economic forces.

Read our , and let us know what you think about their evidence, their conclusions, and their policy recommendations.

Governor’s Budget Mandates 3% Salary Reductions for All State Employees

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Yesterday, the Governor released her 2011-13 budget, and an obscure section of it mandated that all state employees’ salaries, regardless of fund source, be reduced by 3 percent in both fiscal years of the coming biennium.

For the UW, this means that those employees supported by General Operating Funds, working in the hospitals, supported by grants and contracts, and even funded with self-sustaining, locally-derived funds would receive compensation cuts. While we are still analyzing the feasibility and legality of this wholesale reduction, the Governor’s budget mandates that all state employees receive a pay cut and for the UW, that amounts to $32 million in BOTH FY12 and FY13 (or $12 million per year if we isolate the cuts to just employees supported by our General Operating Fund base).

This action would exacerbate the UW’s state funding cut to 29%.

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Massive Funding Cuts for Higher Ed in Governor’s 2011-13 (FY12 & FY13) Budget

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The Governor released her today and it calls for听.听This is just the first budget released to address the next biennium; we will review and analyze many Legislative budget proposals during session, which starts on Monday, January 10.听The Governor’s budget addresses the $5.7 billion deficit forecasted for the coming biennium.

As predicted,听the Governor’s budget听reduces state support for the 91探花over the next two years. These cuts came in several forms: budget reductions, fund shifts, and pension cuts. While some of the reductions are “back-filled” with authority to raise resident undergraduate tuition rates 11% per year over the next two years, the additional revenue from doing this and raising tuition for all other students (by commensurate amounts to current听2010-11 rates) will not make up the funding cuts in the Governor’s budget.

Please review our for more information and contact us directly with any questions.

We anticipate that the Governor’s proposal for a third and final FY 2011 Supplemental Budget will be released Friday. Information and analysis on that budget will be available Friday on this blog and on our .

Interactive Maps: Endless Possibilities

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We are pretty excited by opportunities to view and present large sets of complex data via interactive maps. The New York Times has developed one such map that allows you to explore the recently released US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey results by zip code, city or census tract. is an amazing new tool that not only makes exploring such a large dataset much simpler and more enjoyable, but allows the user to more effectively marshal data to answer specific questions from multiple levels of analysis.

Speaking of the wonder of interactive maps, hopefully you’ve had a chance to check out the new recently launched by the 91探花Office of State Relations. This interactive map allows you to see a selection of the many activities the 91探花is involved in across the state. The map will continue to evolve and grow, and is a fantastic way to learn about many amazing 91探花projects and initiatives, as well as all of the ways in which the University contributes to our state and local economies.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has also been increasing their development and publication of interactive maps, including this that they developed last year using data collected by our Office of Planning and Budgeting.

And to see interactive maps taken to a whole new level, watch this from Global Health researcher Hans Rosling.

As consumers and presenters of data, we look forward to the increasing use of these kinds of tools, and we are very grateful for the highly skilled tech folks who design them!