Blanco budget plan would elevate ULM
Originally published April 29, 2007 in The (Monroe, La.) News-Star
When I congratulate one of our atmospheric science professors on his unprecedented hurricane research, or when I talk to our faculty electronic learning coordinator who makes the newest technology, such as podcasting, available to students at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, I'm often struck by a single thought ... it is remarkable what we're able to achieve with our current resources.
We accomplish much while receiving some of the lowest appropriation per student vs. our peers in the Southern Regional Educational Board. When looking at total funding, which includes tuition and state appropriations, Louisiana ranks last in the SREB. Our faculty members obtained a record $21.8 million dollars in outside funding last year, yet their salaries are well below their peers in the nation. It's challenging to attract new faculty and retain outstanding faculty when they can earn more money in almost any other state. Our faculty and our staff are committed to ULM, and they deserve recognition.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco's proposal would help to provide that recognition for our employees, allocating salary increases for faculty and staff, as well as full coverage of mandated cost increases. The proposed appropriation also provides general operating expense funds that will elevate Louisiana's public colleges and universities to a funding rate equal with the average of peer institutions across the South, a level of financial support Louisiana's institutions have not seen for more than 25 years.
For ULM, Blanco recommends a $1 million allocation to ULM's Pharmacy Accreditation Plan. Our College of Pharmacy has "experienced a major transformation and the college enjoys a new vitality and sense of purpose," according to an on-site evaluation conducted by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Board of Directors in November 2006.
The ACPE Board recognized that our College of Pharmacy has met the growing needs of its faculty and students by purchasing the new 132,000-square-foot Bienville Building from State Farm in 2005. To continue the success of Louisiana's only state-supported pharmacy program, and keep accreditation on track, ACPE requires continued financial support.
ULM is one of the largest employers in the region. More than 50 percent of those in the area with college degrees earned them at ULM. The most recent study that evaluated ULM's economic impact on the region estimated that each student generated more than $20,000 annually in economic activity. I think we can increase that.
Education is economic development. Studies reveal that per capita income and proportion of adults with college degrees are directly linked. To add to Louisiana's economic pool, we must invest in our citizens. Investing in higher education will increase the quality of higher education, make schools more accessible to all Louisianians, and improve the state's economic forecast.
In Louisiana, only 18.1 percent of students from low-income families are enrolled in college, ranking Louisiana 47th in the nation in this category, according to information provided by the Board of Regents. Only 2.3 percent of the working adult population in Louisiana participates in postsecondary education, also ranking Louisiana 47th.
The governor's proposed budget outlines a statewide need-based program to improve those statistics. The $15 million Go Grant program lowers the average Louisiana student's debt, which currently averages $18,751, and gives lower- to middle-income families and non-traditional students opportunities to attend college.
ULM made great strides in the past five years, our students continue to improve every semester; they are contributing to the excellence we enjoy at ULM. They are more academically prepared for attending college than ever before.
In the past five years, the percentage of TOPS scholars has increased to 55 percent (doubled since 2002), and the average ACT score for the entire student body hit a record-breaking high last year. Blanco's 2007-08 Executive Budget Proposal includes increased, unprecedented funding for higher education in Louisiana and would create even more opportunities for ULM to benefit northeastern Louisiana. I encourage the community to support the plan, as it will help our universities continue to impact the area.
In light of Blanco's budget proposal, we're looking at our challenges, Louisiana's challenges, with new hope.