Legislature passes landmark higher ed budget
2007-2009 budget gives biggest increase of funds to higher ed in nearly a decade
Nick Vardanega
Issue date: 7/4/07 Section: News
"Right now we're holding steady and I'm grateful for steady, because Southern [Oregon University] is declining fast," She said. "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon."
Teal credited the efforts of OSA and other student organizations in helping to bring attention to the issue, but said others, like the business community and social services also helped-recognizing that having an educated workforce was in their best interest as well.
"They really rallied around us," she said.
Oregon is currently one of the worst states in terms of funding for higher education, ranking 45th in per capita public spending.
"We came in with a plan for [raising higher education funding] when we were campaigning on this and other issues last fall," said Russ Kelly, spokesman for House Speaker Jeff Merkley. "We made a commitment to restore higher ed funding...we saw it as not only a piece of the education continuum but as one that really plays into the economic stability of the state."
Kelly cited economic instability as one of the factors that caused higher education spending to be ignored for so long. She the recession that hit Oregon in 2001 made it hard to spend money on education.
"We are just now coming out of the recession... we're back up to those previous levels, so we have more money then we had last year," Kelly said about where the extra for higher education would come from.
OSU will also receive extra funding in several specific areas under the new budget.
According to the Oregon University System, OSU will receive $ 6 million for construction of the National Wave Energy Research Center as well as money for various construction and renovation projects for campus buildings and athletic facilities.
The budget also includes a $15 million increase in funds ($37 million total) for the Engineering and Technology Industry Council, to increase the number of engineering and computer science graduates.
And statewide public services like OSU's Agricultural Experiment Station, Extension Service, and Forest Research Laboratory, received increased funding.
Kelly said investing in these services was an effort to boost industries vital to the economy and set up a partnership between universities and private corporations.
"Oregon is very well placed to be a leader in developing new industries and redeveloping old industries," Kelly said.
Thayne Dutson, dean of OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences, said the biggest effect of the increase in funding will allow them to get closer to the number of faculty and other employees they had before they started to decline.
In 2001 they had approximately 394 "full time equivalents," under the 2005-2007 budget they had around 336. Now with the 2007-2009 they will be able to increase that number to around 360.
"Most of the money goes into hiring researchers and extension personnel who bring in outside contracts and grants for research they do," Dutson said. "We are very pleased with increased funding, it will get us partly where we need to be but not all the way."
Teal credited the efforts of OSA and other student organizations in helping to bring attention to the issue, but said others, like the business community and social services also helped-recognizing that having an educated workforce was in their best interest as well.
"They really rallied around us," she said.
Oregon is currently one of the worst states in terms of funding for higher education, ranking 45th in per capita public spending.
"We came in with a plan for [raising higher education funding] when we were campaigning on this and other issues last fall," said Russ Kelly, spokesman for House Speaker Jeff Merkley. "We made a commitment to restore higher ed funding...we saw it as not only a piece of the education continuum but as one that really plays into the economic stability of the state."
Kelly cited economic instability as one of the factors that caused higher education spending to be ignored for so long. She the recession that hit Oregon in 2001 made it hard to spend money on education.
"We are just now coming out of the recession... we're back up to those previous levels, so we have more money then we had last year," Kelly said about where the extra for higher education would come from.
OSU will also receive extra funding in several specific areas under the new budget.
According to the Oregon University System, OSU will receive $ 6 million for construction of the National Wave Energy Research Center as well as money for various construction and renovation projects for campus buildings and athletic facilities.
The budget also includes a $15 million increase in funds ($37 million total) for the Engineering and Technology Industry Council, to increase the number of engineering and computer science graduates.
And statewide public services like OSU's Agricultural Experiment Station, Extension Service, and Forest Research Laboratory, received increased funding.
Kelly said investing in these services was an effort to boost industries vital to the economy and set up a partnership between universities and private corporations.
"Oregon is very well placed to be a leader in developing new industries and redeveloping old industries," Kelly said.
Thayne Dutson, dean of OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences, said the biggest effect of the increase in funding will allow them to get closer to the number of faculty and other employees they had before they started to decline.
In 2001 they had approximately 394 "full time equivalents," under the 2005-2007 budget they had around 336. Now with the 2007-2009 they will be able to increase that number to around 360.
"Most of the money goes into hiring researchers and extension personnel who bring in outside contracts and grants for research they do," Dutson said. "We are very pleased with increased funding, it will get us partly where we need to be but not all the way."
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Be the first to comment on this story
Comments by registered users are approved by default.