Got jobs? Today, the Seattle Times ran a story about the effects of state budget cuts in higher education– and how these cuts are impacting jobs. The UW College of Engineering is profiled. Check it our here.
Category: Higher Education
What is a college education worth?
The UW Office of External Affairs this morning released a document that looks at what a college education is worth for the citizens, community, employers, state and students. It says, for example, that college graduates can expected to earn twice as much as non-grads and that by 2018, 63% of available jobs in the U.S. are forecast to require at least some college education. See the document >>
Plight of public higher education discussed on KING-TV
“Up Front,” a weekly news program on KING-TV, explores the rising cost of public higher education in Washington. A college degree has never been more important, but the state has less money to spend. So who pays the price?
Governor proposes creation of Department of Education
Today, Governor Gregoire unveiled a proposal to create a Department of Education. This is one in a series of proposed government restructuring and reform proposals.
The newly-created Department of Education would be led by a Secretary of Education appointed by the Governor. The Secretary would oversee, coordinate and streamline the four major education sectors: Early Learning, K-12, Community and Technical Colleges. Check out her policy brief for more information.
We’re still waiting for some additional information on how this proposal might directly effect the UW, but the core components of the proposal include:
- Consolidation of eight state entities into one (including OSPI, Department of Early Learning, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and the Higher Education Coordinating Board)
- Restructuring 12th grade as a a “launch year” to a student’s career
This proposal is meant as a compliment to recently-released recommendations from the Governor’s Higher Education Task Force, which you can read more about below.
Higher ed task force makes recommendations
A task force appointed by the governor has recommended that the state’s four-year colleges and universities be allowed to raise tuition to cover costs if necessary to produce more college graduates to meet demand. The task force also recommended creating a scholarship fund with a $1 billion fund-raising goal in the next decade to support low- and middle-income students.
A sampling of news coverage about the task force’s report: Seattle Times | AP/Seattlepi.com | Herald.net (Everett) | Puget Sound Business Journal
Governor unveils budget that would cut $4 billion
On Wednesday morning, Gov. Gregoire unveiled a budget that would eliminate many services for the poor and also would make dramatic cuts in education funding. Tuition would increase by 22 percent over two years at the UW, WSU and Western Washington University. But even with the cuts, colleges and universities would experience $220 million in cuts.
The governor outlines her proposals in a 40-page document.
Local news coverage: Seattle Times | Associated Press
The UW in Your Community
What’s the UW done for you lately?
The University of Washington is first and foremost a place that educates the citizens of Washington State. But as a public university, we’re so much more than an institution on Montlake. UW students, faculty, staff and alumni are making an impact everyday in communities throughout the state. They are your teachers, your doctors, your problem-solvers and even your next-door neighbors.
Today, we’re excited to launch a initiative called “UW in Your Community”– a dynamic, interactive web map showing the many ways the UW is making a difference in each of the state’s 49 legislative districts. Did you know that UW students have designed and built greenhouses as part of redevelopment in Twisp? Or that 18,000 UW alumni live in the 5th district near Issaquah? Or that UW faculty are helping kids get ready for for college in high schools throughout the state?
Click the icon to your right to find out more about the UW in Your Community!
Legislators cut about $700 million from state budget
Actions taken by the state legislature, meeting Saturday, are expected to trim about $700 million from the state budget deficit for the current fiscal year ending in June 2011. The cuts include $51 million from higher education, including $11.4 million from the UW. The UW cut formalizes action taken by Gov. Gregoire in September when she announced across-the-board reductions and is not a new budget reduction.
The UW’s Office of Planning & Budgeting has prepared this summary.
Gov. Gregoire is expected this week to announce her proposals for cutting at least $4.6 billion from the next two-year budget, which runs through 2013.
Local coverage: Seattle Times.