Comments on: State colleges' survival in doubt after $300 million cut

By: David

David — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:24:37 +0000

I teach at the Community College of Denver and Metro State College. Over the last five years I have structured my life around my passion for teaching and I hope I won’t have to give this up soon, though I realize that sacrifices will be made whether I like it or not, and, being a newer adjunct faculty member, I would probably be one of the first to get laid off. Still, today as I was walking past the Capitol I saw two students from Front Range Community College waving banners with “shameful governance” and I thought, yes, this is an occasion for righteous indignation. Come what may–and it will come–I think solidarity is our more pressing concern right now, so seeing those students waving their banners cheered me up a lot. This is really a time for teachers and students to come to the discussion table to work out demands to be made, or else viable default plans. Maybe a mass emigration to Iceland?

By: Mr.Krinkle

Mr.Krinkle — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:07:55 +0000

3 million dollars? I meant to say 300 million.

By: Mr.Krinkle

Mr.Krinkle — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:49:45 +0000

I am a student at Metro, and they just can’t do this to us! WHY ISN’T THE MEDIA SCREAMING FOR US? Most people don’t even know what I’m talking about when I pass the word on or they vaguely remember hearing something about it on the news. What is wrong with our state government? People aren’t realizing that cutting our higher education funds 3 million dollars deep, well, it’s not going to stop bleeding. Not for us, not for our little brothers and sisters. Imagine for a moment, approximately 1,400 teachers getting laid off, each teacher teaches 4-6 classes full of students. Tuition increasing, financial aids getting cut, smaller schools crumbling, more competition to even get INTO a school, UNEMPLOYMENT? Everyone will be looking for a job at the EXACT SAME TIME. People are already struggling to pay for school to better themselves. A rise in tuition AND a 3 million dollar cut?! Are these people out of their minds? It’s going to take a lot of stitches to heal this one. Let me put it in perspective for everyone, we are getting raped. Teachers and students together. Why? For wanting to have a better future, and for wanting to spread knowledge. We must of had it coming, right? Have a good evening.

By: MJH

MJH — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:20:22 +0000

This is a breath taking move by the state. It represents a %56+ decrease in the average school budget in addition to the possibilty of losing out on the Federal stimulus money for Higher Education because the state will not have maintained the required funding. This will translate into massive layoffs in the smaller schools like the Community Colleges and Metro State. These smaller schools make heavy use of part-time instructors who don’t get benefits and who now may be out of a job in the Fall while Pinnacol wallows in hundreds of millions of dollars of excess

By: TJack

TJack — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:58:51 +0000

I’ll take El Scotto at his word concerning the pay at Mesa State. Colorado already has the lowest paid college faculty in the nation. But as bad as the pay may be at Mesa State, the state’s four year institutions, it is even worse at the state’s community colleges. Many postions in K-12, traditionally thought of as low paying jobs, make a lot more.

What does that say about Colorado’s commitment to education?

By: El Scotto

El Scotto — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:55:46 +0000

It’s great that this talks about colleges that might die, but keep in mind that STUDENTS are also affected by this. Not mentioned since it is on the Western Slope is Mesa State College, who has the lowest paid professors in the state, in addition to being under construction. It’s been told to students that we will see a 40%-45% tuition increase which means we get a small school education for big school money.

By: SlouchingtowardBoulder

SlouchingtowardBoulder — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:13:06 +0000

Why do Colorado taxpayers subsidize the CU law school when there is already a very fine private law school at DU? Essentially, Colorado taxpayers are subsidizing a surplus of lawyers which is not good for society.

By: SlouchingtowardBoulder

SlouchingtowardBoulder — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:12:00 +0000

Why don’t some of these colleges slash professor’s salaries and benefits?

By: Gene

Gene — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:54:05 +0000

So will C.U. have to hire back the fake professor Ward Churchill,

and lay off a flock of real ones?

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:33:16 +0000

Yes, the job market is bleak…but there are opportunities. One employer is hiring 50,000 new employees, from bartenders to lawyers.
Some jobs are in Colorado.