Published May 20, 2010
By the Editorial Board, Tri-City Herald
In some ways, higher education is used as a bank by the Washington Legislature at least by the Democratic caucus.
Sometimes the Democrats make a little extra deposit, but then, like the past two years, they yank it back.
Its a heck of a way to run universities and colleges.
To deal with the shortfall this year, Columbia Basin and other community colleges are raising tuition 7 percent. CBC is cutting 100 classes taught by part-time faculty.
In other words, students will pay more and have fewer classes to choose from.
Adjunct instructors make their living doing something besides teaching. Conducting classes is an extra in their financial lives.
But they are more than that to the students. And to the Tri-Cities.
Around here we have long crowed about the high level of academic achievement and thought represented by the number of engineers at Hanford and advanced degrees at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
They help provide a ready source of brainpower to fill adjunct faculty positions at CBC. Thats an asset that ought to be preserved.
Tuition raises, of course, mean students or their families must dig deeper into their pockets.
Democrats have to take responsibility for this. They will, logically, shift the blame to a faltering economy.
Thats fair, but it leaves out the fact that Democrats have had a majority in both houses of the Legislature for years and excluded Republican ideas for meeting revenue shortfalls.
Democrats consequently must take the blame for themselves.
Plus whatever credit there is.
CBC President Rich Cummins told Herald reporter Sara Schilling that the college is doing its best to keep cuts as far from the classroom and instruction as possible.
Were open for business, and were doing the best we can to ensure were serving all the students, he said.
We certainly agree the schools, all of them, are doing what they have to do and making the best of a bad situation.
But the Legislature turns so readily to higher education whenever theres a shortfall that its tough for schools to lay out long-range plans.
Its not just CBC, of course. Washington State University, the University of Washington and all the others in the state college and community college systems are being squeezed to the same degree CBC faces.
Meanwhile, enrollment is growing.
The need for higher education opportunities has never been greater than right now.
Education is near the top of every lawmakers priority list. In the next session, we only ask that deeds match words.
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