At a retreat hosted by the UH Faculty Senate last month, state legislators and faculty members focused on research and University funding for advancing the institution. While these aims are important, the primary focus should be on student concerns of affordability and accessibility.
Echoing the senate, the UH System Board of Regents has repeatedly said that it intends for the University to achieve flagship status, but tuition and fee increases, such as the one approved by the board in June, have made it difficult for some students to afford an education.
While research is an important factor, the University has haphazardly allocated funds to projects such as the Science and Engineering Research Classroom Complex. Since it was built in 2003, the SERCC building has not attracted outside research as originally planned by administrators and has stayed empty for four years. The University has decided that $6 million of Higher Education Assistance Funds will be allocated for a build-out project for SERCC. Rather than put money into an already sinking enterprise, the funds could be used as scholarships for deserving students in need of financial aid or to repair existing buildings in need of renovations and fire safety improvements.
The Faculty Senate did not address the student body, which is diverse not only in terms of ethnicity, but also of the types of students who attend. The student population includes commuters, transfers, parents and working students – most of whom are untraditional in the sense that they do not live on campus or begin and end their education at UH. While the Office of Academic Affairs has said that recruiting and retention are the main goals to raise enrollment, faculty members should also do their part.
At Faculty Senate meetings this year, the consensus has mimicked the board agenda in the desire to make the University a flagship school. While the goal is honorable, it does not seem to keep students in mind while these changes are taking place.
Parking is still an ongoing issue, among others, affecting the entire community, that is slowly being addressed through new construction projects that both hinder and further progress. Although the University has begun implementing an ambitious plan to redesign the campus with projects like a new parking garage, it seems to overlook the present situation that students are experiencing.
In order to better serve their constituents, legislators and the Faculty Senate should focus more on students and less on making the University a flagship school. Flagship status will be unattainable so long as students encounter these educational roadblocks.
