News Releases
News from
Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon
Public information officer: Joan Aschim, (541) 463-5591, aschimj@lanecc.edu
Sources: Oregon Community College Association, (503) 399-9912; or
Marie Matsen, LCC Vice President for College Operations, (541) 463-5311
For release Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Senate to offer community colleges insufficient funds
By a vote of 3-2, the Senate budget committee passed a $424 million budget bill on Tuesday for the community college support fund- far less than the $440 million the colleges have identified as their minimum need to avoid additional large tuition hikes and program losses.
"I was really surprised," said Oregon Community College Association Executive Director Andrea Henderson. "They talk about the importance of providing access to post secondary education and then fail to do the one thing that would ensure it."
Earlier this session the House passed a community college budget of $434.3 million which, although still short of what the colleges need, is closer to the mark identified as the minimum. Since 2001, Oregon community college funding has been cut by $51.3 million. During that time, tuition has increased significantly statewide, making college unaffordable for many Oregonians who are trying to learn skills that will provide them with a living wage job. In 2001-2002, Oregon community colleges served 406,931 students. By 2003-2004, enrollment had dropped to 330,595. Preliminary data from the 2004-2005 academic year show that the enrollment declines have continued at most of the colleges this year.
On June 8, the Lane Community College Board of Education adopted a 2005-2006 budget for Lane that President Mary Spilde characterized as status quo, meaning that there are no funds to restore instructional programs and classes that were eliminated over the past three years. The proposed Senate budget would result in $800,000 less for Lane than the House budget.
"The colleges understand that the State has many competing needs for resources that are too constrained to meet the public obligations but this budget, on top of years of severe cuts and record tuition hikes, goes too far. This budget is $16 million under our most conservative need estimates. Once again, community colleges will not be able to provide the services that Oregon 's economic recovery requires," said Henderson.###
