The state senate is currently acting on the bill that provides funding for community colleges, it has already passed the House, but there are issues - the level of funding, discussion on part-time faculty, and the Indian Tuition Waiver.  Please take a moment and send a letter to your State Senator asking him/her to support community colleges.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As an instructor at a community college, I am extremely concerned about the level of funding that will be appropriated in the community college budget bill, HB 4435, which has passed the House and is currently before the Senate. I hope that you will support the House addition of $97 million in funding from federal stimulus dollars to fund workforce development, job creation, and job retraining at our state's community colleges.

Community colleges are on the front line of helping prepare young people - as well as retraining laid off workers - for the kinds of jobs that will help Michigan have a bright financial future. As a result of the State's unemployment level, our community college like others in the State is bursting at the seams with students.

Given the significant reduction in local property tax revenue to community colleges resulting from decreased local property values, these federal stimulus dollars are critical to addressing the needs of Michigan's workforce.

I also think that the provision in the House-passed version of this bill that initiates a discussion regarding the treatment of part-time faculty is a positive step, and I hope the Senate will retain it. This is a complex issue, well deserving of policymakers' consideration.

However, I am concerned about the manner in which the House version of the bills resolves the underfunding of the Indian Tuition Waiver. While it is entirely fair for those community colleges that have to deliver on the state's responsibility to Indian students to be reimbursed for their costs, it should not be at the expense of other community colleges. By contrast, the House version of the bill funding universities added money to resolve this inequity rather than taking it from other colleges. That approach seems much fairer.

I look forward to hearing your views on these three issues: the $97 million in federal stimulus dollars, the discussion on part-time faculty, and the Indian Tuition Waiver. Thank you for your support for community colleges.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
April 13, 2009