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Remarks to the House-Senate Conference Committee on Higher Education James H. McCormick

Date: May 8, 2003

Thank you, Chair Pappas, Chair Stang, and members. I am James McCormick, chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.

I understand the extremely difficult situation that you are in. When we look at these proposals, you are deciding between a cut to our base budget of $106 million in the Senate bill, $176 million in the House bill, and $204 million in the governor’s proposal.

Frankly, these are all dismal choices. No matter how this ends up, there is going to be significant pain on our campuses. Obviously, we prefer the plan that harms us the least, but even that proposal will mean an actual cut of historic dimensions from current funding for the colleges and universities.

Of course, we know that we have to do everything in our power to cut costs and make our college and university system more efficient. We are working hard on that. But that will not nearly be enough to fill the gap.

No matter what you ultimately decide, we are looking at double-digit tuition increases for our students.

We will close programs.

We will have fewer faculty members.

We will have longer waiting lists for critical programs.

We will cut off enrollment of new students, as we have already done this spring at the state universities at Mankato, Winona and St. Cloud.

But most of all, we fear we will deter promising students from considering college.

Tonight, I ask you, as leaders of the state, to think and reach beyond the coming biennium. Think about the kind of state we want Minnesota to be.

Do we want a state with a strong system of high-quality, affordable institutions of higher education? A state where everyone, no matter what income level, has an opportunity to succeed?

Do we want a state of informed and well-educated citizens who participate in the democratic process?

Do we want a state where businesses want to locate and grow, because they can find the trained and educated people with world-class skills?

Or do we want a state where the quality and reputation of public colleges and universities are deteriorating. Where no one but the very rich or the very poor can afford to go to college. Where our most promising high school graduates leave the state to attend a university. Where businesses look elsewhere – or move across the border– to find the employees they need.

Members of the conference committee, we support our partner, the University of Minnesota, and the role that fine institution plays in our state in terms of research, outreach and education.

We play a different role in educating Minnesotans. We serve two- thirds – 67 percent – of Minnesota undergraduates. The demand for our services has never been higher. We have more students now than we’ve ever had, and from all indications, our enrollment will be up again this fall. So many people are counting on us.

We educate people for critical occupations – nursing, for example, where we prepare 78 percent of new nursing graduates; teaching, where we prepare 53 percent of the state’s new teaching graduates; and law enforcement, where we prepare 92 percent of the state’s law enforcement officers.

Without a strong system of public colleges and universities, where will the state get its nurses, its teachers, its law enforcement officers of the future – and its automotive technicians and computer programmers and its electricians, just to name a few of the 3,500 programs we offer?

We are very concerned about the tuition we will be charging our students. Even if financial aid increases, it will cover about half or less of the increase, forcing students and families to go deeper into debt – or, worse, to forego higher education entirely.

We are equally concerned about the quality of the education we provide our students. The last thing we want to do is to start cutting programs, libraries and equipment that we need to prepare these students for jobs or further education.

And, we know that we need to be able to hire and retain the best employees we can. We are in the people business, and the excellence of our faculty and staff is our most important asset in delivering quality education.

You face difficult decisions in the days ahead. But, I urge you to think about the long run. The economy is going to turn around. We must not lose the investment you, and legislators before you, made in creating and sustaining Minnesota’s public colleges and universities.

When you make your decisions, we will do our best for our students. I ask you to give us the flexibility to manage these cuts.

As you know, I have traveled this great state listening to community leaders, students, faculty, business and labor leaders and legislators. I know how much Minnesotans care about these great colleges and universities. I ask for your help.

Thank you.