Tuition forum brings students, government, and CU administration together
On Tuesday from 5-8 p.m., UCSU will host an open forum in Humanities 1B50 to discuss rising tuition costs at CU.
The forum, entitled “Higher Education: Where did we go wrong? How to move forward?” is meant to bring a variety of perspectives together, from students to university officials and members of the state government. The forum aims to discuss possible solutions for lowering tuition rates in light of the minimal state and federal funding Colorado receives for higher education.
“When we compare ourselves to other institutions, the level of state funding is significantly less,” said CU Associate Vice Chancellor of Planning, Budget and Analysis Steve McNally. “Because of the low level of state funding, there’s more stress on the tuition component of revenue.”
McNally also said it was important to have a wide variety of perspectives present at the forum because there are many sides to the issue of rising tuition rates.
“We all bring our own unique sets of issues, our own unique solutions,” he said.
CU Regent Cindy Carlisle, Colorado Commission on Higher Education Director David Skaggs, Vice Chancellor McNally, and Boulder State Senator Ron Tupa will attend as panelists.
CU students serving on UCSU said they think it is important for students to attend the forum in order to make sure their voice is heard.
“The money we’re receiving from the state is not sufficient,” UCSU Tri-Executive Hadley Brown, a 5th year senior English major, said at UCSU’s weekly meeting on Jan. 24. “The people making the decisions.aren’t talking to the people being impacted by the decisions and vice-versa. It’s a communication problem.”
Brown said tuition rates have increased significantly over the past few years. The latest increase was 19 percent for in-state students at the beginning of last semester.
Brown is not the only UCSU member who thinks students need to get involved with this issue. UCSU Legislative Council President Boyce Postma, a senior architecture major, said that students have been absent so far from the discussion of CU’s financial situation.
“Students are uninvolved in the conversation,” Postma said.
However, Postma says the upcoming forum could be a great opportunity for students to let their voice be heard.
“It’s a great opportunity for students and the experts to communicate,” Postma said.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Rob Ryan at rryan@colorado.edu.
