CU system’s sole presidential candidate highlights fund raising abilities
Bruce Benson met with CU staff to discuss his qualifications to be the president of the CU system on Wednesday afternoon.
As the sole candidate for president of the CU system, Benson faces harsh criticism from both students and faculty opposed to his nomination.
The focus of Benson’s speech was his ability to raise funds for the school during a time of economic instability in both the nation and in Colorado.
Benson cited the recent speculation that the US was beginning to enter a recession and that Colorado could follow suit if that was the case.
To fund the CU system, Benson said that he would focus on acquiring both federal and state funding before considering tuition increases and budget cuts.
“We in Colorado do not fight for our share of appropriations,” Benson said. “We don’t do a good enough job fighting for our state.”
Benson stated that Colorado ranks 48 among the states in higher education funding, a fact that he referred to as “pitiful”.
“People in Colorado do not appreciate what we do in higher education for them,” Benson said. “We need to beat that drum.”
Other funding options that Benson speculated on were oil and gas severance taxes, lottery revenues and public or private partnerships.
“I don’t want to build buildings on student’s backs,” Benson said.
When questioned about the possibility of businesses sponsoring or funding research projects, Benson said that he supported the possibility as long as the businesses’ interests did not conflict with the work being done within the school.
Many staff members said they had concerns about Benson’s intentions or qualifications to be president, citing his past work as chairman of the Colorado GOP and his history as primarily a businessman.
“I’m a businessman, but I understand that higher education is not the same,” Benson said.
Benson tried to assure the crowd that even though he has had a partisan past, politics would not come into play in his role as president.
“I work in a bipartisan way, even though I have been partisan,” said Benson.
When questioned about his support of tenure for CU professors and academic freedom, Benson replied that he supported both.
“That’s the process,” Benson said.
For some staff, the meeting helped convince them that Benson was the right person for the job.
“He made a very positive impression,” Ira Liss, a staff member of the communication department with the Leeds School of Business said.
Liss said he did have reservations about Benson’s involvement with the Republican party, but the meeting helped convince him that politics were not involved in Benson’s decision to head the CU system.
“He doesn’t appear to be a partisan in terms of taking this position,” Liss said.
Other staff members were not as convinced.
Joan Gabriele, a staff member with the undergraduate enrichment program felt that much of Benson’s speech was diversionary and that he was too business oriented to be president.
“I think he treats CU as a business,” Gabriele said.
Gabriele said she came to the meeting doubting Benson’s qualifications and that her opinion had not changed.
“I still think he’s the wrong person,” Gabriele said. “He doesn’t have a vision.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Stephen Oskay at Stephen.Oskay@colorado.edu
