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Originally Posted by onesnowyowl
And ace, yes, there have been many cuts to funding tertiary education in Oregon--actual cuts to our funding.
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I looked at your Governor's recommended budget for 2007-2009 he proposed an increase:
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The Governor’s recommended budget is $4.9 billion total funds, an 11.4 percent increase from the 2005-07 Legislatively Approved Budget. The General Fund budget of $827.1 million is increased by 17.1 percent. The recommended budget includes $40.7 million General Fund to support campus operations.
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The 2003-2005 budget was $3.8 billion. The 2005-2007 budget was $4.4 billion.
http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/BAM/docs/P..._Education.pdf
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And universities have admission caps because you cannot accept more students than your core facilities will support--that's just common sense.
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All I suggest is "thinking outside the box". I think it can be done, however I think some school like the fact that they are being "selective". It is a badge of honor. I think that is the wrong focus.
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It has nothing to do with increasing the value of the degree; the value of a degree is determined by the quality of the faculty and the effort put into attaining it by the student. We can cram more bodies into classrooms, but at some point you begin to overtax the other facilities on campus--the computer labs, the library, the bathrooms.
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...the football stadiums, the hot tubs, rec. centers, admin office space, etc. They can put more focus on education or they can put focus on other things. I simply suggest that tax dollars go to education and let individuals pay for the "other things".
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It's the same thing at the elementary and secondary level--sure, you can put more kids in a school, you can add portable classrooms, but then you'll have to add lunches, think about building some new bathrooms, and so on.
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With proper planning a school district can accommodate every student in a district. A state university system could do the same thing. There is no acceptable reason to have more students than available space. I am not sure I understand the position you are taking on this issue.
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I have to wonder, ace, when was the last time you stepped foot on a college campus, be it a community college or a four-year school?
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I have an 11 year old son, we try to visit a few campuses a year. We visited Clemson a few weeks ago. I started saving for his education when he was born, at that time I planned on needing about $100,000. By the time he finishes I anticipate the actual cost will be up to $150,000. It is possible that he will go to an in-state public university and the cost will be less, or it could be more. Some programs actually require 5 rather than 4 years for completion due to difficulties in getting needed classes. I think our system needs real solutions, it is too bad all we are getting is empty rhetoric.