倡导增加国家资助

戴维森总统的口信

2月. 4, 2021

亲爱的走鹃,

上周, 提交给了州联合预算委员会, during which I advocated for more state investment in 密歇根州立大学丹佛 students. 传统上, Colorado’s public colleges and universities have signed a joint letter to the JBC advocating for increased funding for higher education. However, this year it was not in the University’s best interest to sign on. 在我向JBC做报告的时候, I made it clear that 密歇根州立大学丹佛 is making its own case for a different approach.

皇冠博彩的目的

密歇根州立大学丹佛 is calling for a more equitable allocation of state resources to address the growing gap in support for Colorado’s students of color and low-income and first-generation students.

虽然我, 还有皇冠博彩的董事会和其他高层领导, support the call for increased state funding for Colorado higher education as a whole, the letter submitted by the state’s other public institutions did not adequately address the growing inequity in Colorado’s higher-education funding allocation.

Not only has the state ranked near the bottom nationally in higher-education spending, 密歇根州立大学丹佛 has a $48 million base funding gap between the average four-year university funding level in Colorado. 除此之外, 根据国家委托的一份报告, 密歇根州立大学丹佛 would need a $64 million adjustment to be funded like peer universities of our size around the country.

资金需要与州的总体规划保持一致

皇冠博彩国家的 高等教育总体规划 clearly identifies the need to close the gap in higher-education credential attainment between students of color and the white majority. The master plan says the postsecondary credential attainment rate for whites in Colorado is 64% but 39% for Black adults and 29% for Hispanic adults. The attainment gap between white and Hispanic populations is the second-largest in the country.

As a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving机构 with 48% students of color (including 32% Latino), 密歇根州立大学丹佛分校在缩小这一差距方面发挥着关键作用. 我为皇冠博彩在多元化、公平和包容方面所做的努力感到自豪. 皇冠博彩还没有完全搞清楚, but our work is ongoing and we are steadfastly committed to serving our students.

不幸的是, Colorado has not aligned its higher-education funding with its published master-plan goals. 而州政府说它已经“made erasing these equity gaps – including for our fast-growing Hispanic population – a top priority,” the state has yet to prioritize this as evidenced by the racial attainment gaps and the inequitable funding of 密歇根州立大学丹佛. Colorado allocates about 40% less funding per student to 密歇根州立大学丹佛, 科罗拉多州哪个学校的有色人种学生最多, 与州平均水平相比.

A master plan without an accompanying funding strategy is just a white paper. It’s not a plan; it’s a wish. 类似的, the funding proposal put forth by the other Colorado schools depends on new money being introduced into the higher-education funding formula, 鉴于目前的经济形势，皇冠博彩认为这是不现实的. No matter how much money goes to higher ed in this state, the allocation must be more equitable.

Until and unless the state puts funding where its stated objectives are, 这个总体规划不会实现. If the state would prioritize its own goals and partner with 密歇根州立大学丹佛 in this vision, we would be able to massively scale what we are already doing to make substantive progress on these critical equity goals.

密歇根州立大学丹佛分校的请求

What I proposed to the legislature was a multiyear funding strategy aimed directly at the master plan’s objectives. 具体地说, I requested that lawmakers close 密歇根州立大学丹佛’s funding gap by investing close to $50 million in our base funding over the next five years.

We are not asking to receive fairer funding just to be like everyone else. 大流行的, 以及当年历史性的种族正义运动, 揭露了皇冠博彩几十年来一直生活在其中的不平等. We cannot in good conscience agree to anything that perpetuates the status quo and fails to correct longstanding inequity. 州政府不能再安排这项工作了.

As 密歇根州立大学丹佛 Board Chair Barb Grogan said at the trustees’ meeting last week, “I believe we have an absolute moral imperative to fix this and to not accept tiny, 增量的增加.”

The benefit for the state is obvious: Colorado needs our students to succeed in order to fill its advanced workforce. Companies are spending millions of dollars to recruit talent from out of state while many Colorado students are leaving to attend college at more affordable institutions. Since 96% of Roadrunners are from Colorado and close to 80% live and work in the state long after graduation, increased state support in 密歇根州立大学丹佛 is a long-term investment in Colorado.

A 2019年的研究 估计皇冠博彩的校友增加了53美元.在他们的职业生涯中为国家经济贡献了40亿美元, above and beyond what they would have contributed with just high school diplomas. With more support to fund our wraparound services such as advising, innovative career-pathway programs and other essential student interventions, 甚至更多的科罗拉多人可以成为路跑者, making even greater contributions to our state as they launch their careers.

前进, we will continue to advocate on behalf of our students throughout this legislative session and beyond. 你可以加入皇冠博彩，支持皇冠博彩的努力 密歇根州立大学丹佛冠军项目, which will keep you up to date on these issues and offer you opportunities to engage legislators and decision-makers around the state by sharing 密歇根州立大学丹佛 stories. We believe it is a moral imperative to seek funding now that will move the needle on closing the equity gap in Colorado.

真诚地,

珍妮·戴维森博士.D.

丹佛州立大学校长