Cutting higher education funding in 海角换妻 would be devastating to students and faculty, advocates say.
They鈥檙e sounding the alarm over proposed state budget cuts. Scores of students, professors and union leaders spoke for nearly seven hours at a public hearing Tuesday night. Hundreds of people submitted testimony ahead of the hearing.
Public colleges and universities in 海角换妻 are facing significant budget cuts due to federal emergency pandemic funds that are set to disappear.
Speakers included Bryan Greene, the Graduate Student Senate president at UConn.
"If higher education in the state of 海角换妻 is a priority to you, if diversity, if equity, if inclusion, if it鈥檚 a priority to you and if innovation is a priority to you, you鈥檒l find a way to make this work," Greene told lawmakers.
The 海角换妻 State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system is seeking more than $47 million to avoid deeper cuts, ranging from programs to faculty.
CSCU chancellor Terrence Cheng told the state Appropriations Committee earlier in the day Tuesday that the amount they鈥檙e requesting won鈥檛 solve all of his system鈥檚 financial challenges.
鈥淲ithout long-term, sustainable, viable funding, our system will continue to be in a very dangerous and precarious position,鈥� Cheng said.
Officials with UConn have similar concerns. UConn provost Anne D'Alleva also addressed lawmakers on the committee.
鈥淪tudents need more supports,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey need advising. They need coaching. They need mentoring, they need career services. And to provide this holistic student support, we need those professionals who can be there working with our students complementing their academic experience and helping them grow and segue out.鈥�
Meanwhile, Gov. Ned Lamont says budget controls 鈥� called fiscal guardrails 鈥� help avoid state budget deficits.
鈥淭he governor has been clear that the fiscal guardrails have been essential to ending year after year of repeated deficits and finally bringing the state鈥檚 fiscal health to a stronger place,鈥� the governor鈥檚 office said in a statement earlier this month.
State officials have also said that it's not realistic for public colleges to expect to maintain emergency funding levels.
Advocates are pushing for an additional $250 million for public higher education in the state.
At Southern 海角换妻 State University, sections of courses have been getting canceled in waves, said Cindy Stretch, an English professor and faculty union leader at the school. She said this hinders students鈥� success and speed at which they can move on to their next life steps.
鈥淲e have an obligation not just to provide access, but to provide the support that students need to be able to actually stay and finish,鈥� Stretch said ahead of the public hearing.
Budget cuts to UConn are not only threatening students鈥� work, but also what their research can contribute to the future of the state, too, according to Grace Easterly, president of the UConn graduate employee and postdoc union, UAW 6950.
鈥淲e have graduate employees that are researching everything in 海角换妻, from birds that are native to 海角换妻 to aquaculture and the Long Island Sound to the impact of flooding on the 海角换妻 community as to how effectively school meal programs are reaching 海角换妻's kids,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t's this research that has huge benefits for 海角换妻 as a whole.鈥�
Tuesday鈥檚 public hearing comes a couple of weeks after students and faculty members gathered at the Capitol, saying the underfunding of public colleges and universities has become a 鈥渃risis.鈥澛�
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The Appropriations Committee鈥檚 public hearing on the governor's budget adjustments for higher education agencies began at 5 p.m. Tuesday and . Advocates spoke at 6:30 p.m. in the state Legislative Office Building and .
海角换妻's Eric Aasen contributed to this report.
