A message from Colorado University Presidents, CEOs and Chancellors in support of Proposition CC, led by Tony Frank of the Colorado State University System, written in their official capacity with the support of their governing boards, or private capacity as a Colorado citizen:
Colorado is rightfully proud of its strong economy and national reputation as a hub for critical economic sectors such as bio-sciences, aerospace, energy, agriculture and health care. Yet funding for the driving force behind this success — an educated workforce — shouldn’t make any of us proud. In fact, it’s an embarrassment.
Colorado ranks 48th nationally in funding post-secondary education. We’re near dead-last on an investment critical to our state’s future. State funding for higher education is 11 percent lower than it was in 2008, at the start of the great recession, even though enrollment and costs have grown.
The good news is we can help remedy that abysmal ranking by approving Proposition CC in November. It asks Colorado voters to remove arbitrary limits to the state budget without increasing the tax rate. Those limits have restricted investment in one of the state’s most precious resources — students.
It’s not that we don’t value education in the Centennial State: We typically rank in the top five among states in the percentage of the population with a bachelor’s degree. The paradox is that many people have moved to our state and brought their degrees with them. We must do a better job of educating our own if we hope to stay competitive. State investment is essential. Importing talent, along with importing a large number of nonresident students to help offset the cost for Colorado students, is not a sustainable model for Colorado’s future.
If approved, Proposition CC would earmark one-third of revenue for colleges and universities, with another third going to K-12 schools to help prepare students well for college and careers. The remaining third would go to transportation. The measure would have unprecedented levels of transparency, requiring independent annual audits that detail to Coloradans how the money is spent. Passing Proposition CC would have a direct impact on all students of post-secondary education — everything from community colleges and trade schools to state colleges and research universities. They deliver the highly skilled workforce Colorado needs.
[The Colorado State University System] is joined in support of CC by higher ed CEOs Janine Davidson (Metropolitan State University of Denver), Andy Feinstein (UNC), Tim Foster (Colorado Mesa), Joe Garcia (Community Colleges system), Carrie Besnette Hauser (Colorado Mountain College), Greg Salsbury (Western Colorado) and Tom Stritikus (Fort Lewis).
Technology is rapidly changing the workforce here and nationally. The consulting firm McKinsey estimates that automation could replace 44 percent of jobs in the U.S. by 2030. Jobs for those with only a high school education will be hit the hardest. We need to equip people with the knowledge and skills to drive the economy in our fast-changing state and world.
(Illustrations courtesy of VectorStock)
Our anemic investment in our students hasn’t always been this way. In 2000, the state-funded two-thirds of a student’s cost of higher education, with tuition covering the remainder. Today that has flipped. Students cover more than two-thirds of the cost of public education, and the state covers just a third.
It’s incumbent upon higher education to operate efficiently. And while there is always room to find more efficiencies, the reality is that years of being near dead last in state funding have made Colorado’s post-secondary institutions administratively lean and operationally efficient.
The bottom line is that passing Proposition CC will be an investment in Coloradans, one that realizes a substantial return. Investing in a strong human infrastructure is one of the smartest moves our state can make. Doing so without raising the tax rate will help ensure our economy keeps humming. Let’s continue to be proud of Colorado’s strong and diverse economy and what it means for everybody’s well-being. But let’s also be proud that when we had a chance to pass Proposition CC and step up to invest in our students, workforce and prosperity, we did so knowing that all Coloradans benefit.
Tony Frank, the Colorado State University System
Mark Kennedy, University of Colorado, Boulder (writing as a private citizen)
Janine Davidson, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Andy Feinstein, University of Northern Colorado
Tim Foster, Colorado Mesa University
Joe Garcia, Community Colleges system
Carrie Besnette Hauser, Colorado Mountain College
Greg Salsbury, Western Colorado University
Tom Stritikus, Fort Lewis College
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