The Daily Iowan, IA
09-08-06
Iowa student officials seek education pledge
Ashton Shurson - The Daily Iowan
Candidates throughout history have repeatedly promised to keep higher
education a top priority.
Students around the state want to make sure they follow through.
The student government presidents from the UI, Iowa State University, and the
University of Northern Iowa, as well as UNIgraduate and Regent Jenny Connolly,
have been drafting a letter to candidates running for the state House, governor,
and other various offices.
By signing the letter, candidates will affirm that higher education is their top
priority during the legislative season.
"The state has a long heritage of high-quality education, and we expect current
and future legislators to live up to the standards," UI Student Government Peter
McElligott said. "To not live up to those standards can amount to treason to the
standards of Iowa."
A list of who signed and who didn't will be published in a student-governmentsposored advertisement in newspapers across Iowa by late October or early
November.
Grant Erwin, the UNI student-government president, said the letters will "show
the public and students who is really in support of higher education and who
isn't."
The tactic is designed to hold lawmakers accountable during election season and
to ensure the senators and representatives keep tuition from rising more than the
rate of inflation, as well as fulfilling other requests from the state Board of
Regents.
Connolly said she believes students hope that lawmakers can commit to higher
education. Many student leaders are taking a pro-active approach this year, she
added.
"This is the first time [students] have done something like this," she said. "It's a
new approach, and there can be a potentially big number of voters."
The campaign coincides with a statement on higher education released by Rep.
Ed Fallon, D-Des Moines, on Thursday. He complained that the regents and the
state Legislature "value entrepreneurship over education."
For instance, regents spent $43 million of state funds, which were supposed to
pay for rising energy costs, for "economic-development programs and
infrastructure improvements."