College must remain affordable amid cuts
by Ernest Calderon -

Sept. 1, 2009
Special for the Republic
Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and University of Arizona have opened their doors for the fall semester. As students head back to school, they have a sense of excitement, anticipating the new opportunities this year will bring. It's a contagious feeling, one that creates inspiration to fulfill dreams.
When I became a student at NAU, fresh from my Morenci High School graduation, I was inspired by what the future held and the contributions I knew I would one day make to the state that made my education possible.
Now, as the president of the Arizona Board of Regents, another door has opened for me, one that has rekindled that earlier flame of inspiration.


I see thousands of students - many the first in their family to go to college - walk through the doors of our universities. They "get it." They know that a college education is vital to their future. They know the world has changed and it takes a bachelor's degree to be successful in the expanding global marketplace.
One graduate's personal success translates into community success. Studies validate that an educated citizenry means less reliance on government support, reduced crime rates, increased charitable giving and an improved ability to adapt and use technology.
Arizona's workforce, regardless of its education level, on average, has higher salaries when a larger proportion has a college degree
.
The U.S. Department of Labor projects that by 2013, there will be 3 million more jobs in our country that will require a bachelor's degree. In 2020, and in Arizona alone, 167,000 jobs requiring a college degree will become vacant due to retirements.
We must ensure that those jobs are filled; and to do that, a university education must be affordable and accessible for all. We're getting closer. Recently, Forbes magazine announced that all three of our universities are among 100 universities nationwide considered a "best buy" for a college education.
Even so, for too many Arizonans, a college degree remains out of reach, and we must change that. The Board of Regents and the three university presidents have been working to reform the university system. We began two years ago when we undertook development of a systemwide strategic plan with a goal of trying to double baccalaureate degrees by 2020.
The evolving plan calls for the universities to create new educational pathways to serve Arizona's students, including deeply integrated community college-based 2+2 programs, regional universities in partnership with community colleges, collaborative Arizona public university centers and the expansion of the Arizona Universities Network slate of online degrees.
In June, I proposed also pursuing a 3+1 program that would keep students pursuing high-demand degrees at the community colleges a year longer, paying community-college tuition and, thereby, significantly reducing their costs. In the fourth year, they would transfer to the university, pay university tuition
and earn, in the end, a university degree.
This is a difficult time for everyone with job losses and budget cuts. But now is not the time to cut back on higher education. Let us all catch the back-to-school spirit and demonstrate that zeal by opening more doors to higher education. Ý Adelante!


Ernest Calderon is president of the Arizona Board of Regents.