Universities say money needed to avert crisis

OLYMPIA — The presidents of Washington's six public universities said yesterday that improved state funding is the surest way to avoid a crisis in the higher-education system.

As part of Higher Education Day at the Capitol, the presidents and college students urged lawmakers to tackle access issues, tuition increases and pay raises for college faculty members.

Within the next 10 years, the state expects to have 15,000 to 30,000 more college students than spaces for them in the public universities.

"Access is the single most important issue facing us," Stephen Jordan, president of Eastern Washington University, told a news conference.

The increased demand, stagnant faculty salaries, the need for capital improvements and rising tuition rates mean the system is headed for trouble, the university presidents said.

At Eastern, the number of students has steadily increased while the number of faculty members has not, Jordan said. They are regularly teaching more students per class, yet faculty members across the state haven't seen adequate raises in years, he said.

"It's time to recognize them for the very important work that they do," Jordan said.

Several of the presidents noted that low wages already have caused some high-quality faculty members to leave.

The university leaders also urged the Legislature to fund the State Need Grant program for low-income undergraduates and provide money to repair facilities and build new ones.

Adequate state funding also keeps tuition down, Jordan said.

"We've always been proud of higher education here," said V. Lane Rawlins, president of Washington State University. But he questioned whether the state will have a stellar higher-education system in the future.

With the state facing a $2.2 billion budget shortfall, lawmakers have few answers.

Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, said she understands the universities' anxieties and demands but said she can't predict what will be funded and what won't.

Prentice chairs the Senate Budget Committee.

"It's going to be equally bad for everyone that is asking," she said. "My question back is, 'Who do they think we should tax and how do we go about achieving it?' "

About 50 EWU students also visited the Capitol yesterday, meeting with lawmakers and touring the grounds.

Most were concerned with access to education and affordable tuition.

Lance Kissler, a 22-year-old graduate student, said the trip was worth his time.

"It puts a face to higher education and lets the legislators connect with real people," he said.