Feb
24
UW student regent Jean-Paul Willynck, a senior Urban Studies student at UW Tacoma, wrote an excellent op-ed piece for the Seattle PI on the value of funding higher education during an economic downturn. Among other points, Willynck notes:
Like the building of roads, schools and telecommunication networks, investing in higher education not only looks to the future, but also provides much-needed jobs right now. As universities work toward their research and teaching goals, they employ thousands of faculty, support staff and teaching assistants. Further, the 100,000-plus students who attend four-year public universities in Washington support businesses from Bellingham to Pullman to Tacoma.
Specifically, at the University of Washington, more than 240 companies have been started by professors, students or with UW-developed technology. When institutions are asked to make budget cuts of 13 percent, this means fewer people to teach our future work force and entrepreneurs, less undergraduate engagement in research and decreased ability to attract the best and brightest to Washington. A reduction in funding cuts jobs and undermines the quality of education in the classroom.
Willynck is the first student from UWT to serve as student regent. You can read the entire op-ed piece here.
