Lawmakers out-of-touch with importance of funding for higher education in S.C.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 11:04PM Editors
editors@mytjnow.com
When South Carolina isn’t busy sweeping higher education under the rug, it seems state lawmakers just pulls the rug out from under us.
As Columbia lawmakers talk about measurables and appropriation cuts, universities like Winthrop go on with their day-to-day operations.
As the state adds insult to a historical injury of not prioritizing higher education, university students and families are facing daily uncertainties about footing college tuition and fee bills.
Budget-making days in the Capitol make for lots of worry about furlough days, salary freezes and loss of programs in higher education.
But what aren’t as obvious are the problems everyone in our state, in our country and in our world will face if funding for education in South Carolina and elsewhere isn’t improved and revamped.
A society that places minimal value on education—especially college and specialty education—is a society in danger of regression.
Stimulus funds and federal grants are useful and do help, but their scope is limited by their inherent brevity. Those dollars are similar to a band-aid over a college’s wound brought on by cuts in state appropriations.
The band-aid is appreciated and is certainly better than walking around with gaping lacerations, but at the end of a band-aid’s lifespan, the help—like a grant—is ripped away.
Funding for important university initiatives such as the Academic Success Center comes from federal grants now in danger.
The Johnsonian doesn’t have a magic wand to wave or even any sage advice to give to lawmakers on this issue. We can only hope for the best; hope that, collectively, our lawmakers will give a seat to education at the funding priority table.
In the past, student organizations such as CSL have organized letter writing campaigns to policy makers and university officials. We encourage that practice and hope students will take the time to educate themselves and actively lobby for an improved higher education funding policy.
