Ross speaks to appropriations subcommittee about budget, funding

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BIG RAPIDS – University President George Ross got his first chance to push for better education funding Monday.

Ross spoke to the Michigan Senate Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee at Ferris State University.

He covered many points including budget cuts, both for Central Michigan University and the state of Michigan. 

“Now I fully expect there will be budget cuts,” he said to the committee. “I’m a realist… We want to work with (the state) to mitigate those reductions, to balance the state budget and our budget and protect the academic quality of our university.”

Ross, along with FSU President David Eisler, Lake Superior State University President Tony McLain and Vahid Lotfi, University of Michigan-Flint’s interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, spoke to the subcommittee, which included State Sen. Tony Stamas, R-Midland, and the chairman of the subcommittee, and State Sen. Tom George, R-Kalamazoo.

Ross said since 2003, CMU has cut $30 million from its budget. Officials from the other universities echoed a similar sentiment. 

Ross asked members of the subcommittee if they were aware of the amount of state appropriations given to CMU in 1999 and quickly answered himself, telling them it was the same as it is today.

“And guess what, enrollment has grown more than 4 percent,” he said to the committee.

Ross said he understands how difficult it can be to get money for education with the budget going through so much turmoil, but said it should be a priority.

“I think (the committee) probably knows it, but I don’t think it hurts to repeat it,” he said.

McLain and Lotfi said they are focusing on getting veterans to come to their universities and Eisler said one other focus they are taking is getting students from community colleges to come to FSU.

“In addition to the work we are doing with community colleges we are working very hard to be the transfer institution of choice,” Eisler said.

Anne Hornak, assistant professor of education leadership, brought several students from her EDL 764: Financing of Higher Education class.

She said she wanted to show her students the process the state deals with for funding higher education. She said Ross did a good job speaking to the subcommittee.

“A week on the job, I thought it was very amazing,” she said.

Hornak said she talked with her students during a break about the different points McLain and Eisler had brought up and what they found interesting.

“I think (students) are unfamiliar, we talk a lot about the state’s role in funding higher education,” she said. “My goal was to open up with what is the process and this is just part of it.”