President’s departure sign of crisis for public universities
Editor, The Times:
As someone who has spent most of her communications career at two large public universities, I share The Seattle Times’ sadness regarding University of Washington President Mark Emmert’s departure from the institution [“Emmert the rainmaker,” Opinion, April 29].
While the vast majority of public universities in today’s incredibly competitive universe suffer from greatly reduced state appropriations and subsequent calls to stop being elitist while also ceasing any feeding at the public trough, the loss of a master fundraiser, negotiator and visionary such as Emmert is more keenly felt than many students, faculty, alumni and donors might initially realize.
But Emmert’s departure should not surprise anyone. Given the many problems facing most public universities, it has become very difficult to recruit and retain people of his stature to assume university presidencies. It takes one who must be completely and utterly dedicated to the notion of public universities to take on the often thankless tasks of constantly raising money, dealing with athletics problems, absorbing never-ending faculty and student complaints, always needing to explain a university’s reason for existence to state legislators and assuaging sometimes overbearing and overly critical donors and alumni.
Emmert’s leaving should alert public universities and legislators everywhere about the real crises facing something the United States has always considered one of the jewels of our society: a quality public university system.
— Mary Stanik, Minneapolis
Can’t cut work force without cutting higher education
I too commend Mark Emmert; he has been a remarkable leader and true visionary. Yet, I believe The Times reflects some hypocrisy. It slams the Legislature for reducing the University of Washington’s state funding by 33 percent.
While I agree and have stressed that the Legislature has long underfunded higher education, particularly the UW, a key fact is ignored. As the 2010 Legislature worked to plug an $11 billion biennial budget shortfall, The Seattle Times editorial board repeatedly called for us to balance the budget on the backs of state workers. More than 41 percent of our state’s employees are working for our institutions of higher education, which amounts to the lion’s share of state workers. Comparatively, human-service employees make up 33 percent of our work force.
Because of its size, you cannot cut our state work force without cutting higher education — especially as it is completely (and unfortunately) discretionary. These destructive cuts and corresponding increases in students’ tuition will continue until we address our regressive, outmoded tax structure that is unsustainable and overly dependent on the sales tax.
— Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Seattle