GVSU President Arend D. Lubbers is to testify today before the State House Appropriations Committee at the Capitol, where he'll make a plea for a fair shake in higher education funding.
Grand Valley is Michigan's fastest-growing university, yet it remains at the bottom of the state funding list, with the lowest per-student appropriation among Michigan's 15 public campuses. Lubbers noted that Governor John Engler and the Legislature already agreed that GVSU should receive $4,500 per Fiscal Year Equated Student (FYES), which was set as the minimum for public universities. But, Grand Valley is currently funded at just $3,623 per FYES.
Close the gap, the president urged in prepared testimony, noting that the university's current state funding is even further below the $4,700 floor set last month by a Senate proposal.
It's a matter of fairness and equity. Our students deserve to be treated just as well as students on the state's other campuses, Lubbers said.
The president stresses the increasing urgency for the Legislature to address the GVSU funding issue.
We have several new programs in the pipeline, particularly in the health professions, which will be difficult to commence if student demand continues to outpace the percentage increase in our appropriation.
The time has come to close the gap, which for Grand Valley is the largest among the regional campuses. Let me put it this way: if you do not close the gap soon, when state is flush with tax collections, when will you?
