Regents should focus on preparing students

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Aug 14, 2006 | by John Florez

Is the State Board of Regents in the business of running institutions of higher education or providing vision and leadership in educating students?

Recently, the Utah State Board of Regents got preoccupied in approving a "modest approach" of $405 million to prevent the declining enrollment in higher education institutions. But, the money would come from students' tuition and more tax dollars. That doesn't make any sense.

The "modest approach" calls for recruitment of women and minority students; however, members ignored the common sense offered by the only student member of the regents. He warned his colleagues that raising tuition would deter efforts to recruit those groups because they could not afford the rising costs of tuition, student fees and textbooks. The reality is that the high costs deter many students, besides women and minorities, from going on to higher education.

The regents are also trying other "quick-fixes" to stop the declining enrollment -- offering scholarships, and spending money on the recruitment of K-12 students through public relations advertising that extols the importance of a college education. They don't seem to grasp that many students see little connection between what is taught in schools today and what they need for future jobs. Thus, they have little incentive to learn.

If the regents were serious about making it easier for high school students to enter a state college or university, they should not have wasted time debating with public education over who would pay for the concurrent enrollment of high school students wishing to take college-level classes. Not a good message to give high school students they are trying to recruit. They should have been glad to pay for them. Perhaps the money being funneled for advertising, recruitment and scholarships could best be spent by paying the concurrent enrollment tab for students. That way, more students would have an opportunity for higher learning. Besides, these institutions already have financial aid offices and recruiters to do what the regents now want to use additional tuition and tax dollars to do.

Before raising tuition and asking for more tax dollars to reverse the student decline, the regents need to take the time to understand what parents and students are struggling with in their desire to improve their lives in today's economy. The regents float figures about a college education being the primary way for individuals to improve their earnings; yet, a degree is no longer a ticket to the middle class as it used to be. Many families and students are struggling to make ends meet, looking for and finding alternative ways to improve their learning and earning capacity.

State colleges and universities that offer advanced degrees seem stuck in a time warp where classes are taught at the convenience of the bureaucracy and its tenured staff rather than accommodating the needs of potential students. Community colleges, on the other hand, are flourishing because they are market driven and can make accommodations for the lifestyle of today's individuals as well as their style of learning.

It may be that the growing number of private colleges, online universities, technical schools and self-taught techies are now finding alternative ways for more people to become educated; higher education institutions no longer hold a monopoly. The regents, rather than trying quick PR fixes on recruitment and clinging to old ways, might focus on their core purpose of preparing students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in today's "flat world." Utah must have individuals who will bring the needed creativity and innovation to our economy, and the regents should not be apologetic in making the case for more resources from our legislators to do that.

They would also do well to share their resources with public education. After all, that's our future whether they attend higher education or make their contribution to our society in their own way and their own time.

We need leaders and innovators, now, more than ever.

Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations, served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: ">jdflorez@comcast.net