Legislative Agenda - 2013
Legislative Agenda - 2013
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n the past four sessions of the state legislature funding for higher education has been cut by 50%, resulting in tuition nearly doubling since 2008. These massive cuts to the state’s system of colleges and universities have impacted students at Washington State University through increased tuition and decreased quality in our classrooms. Washington State is ranked last in state spending per student, but remains in the top 5 in degree production. This trend of disinvestment cannot The Cougar Coalition is an continue if we are to ensure our universities remain organization composed of accessible, the quality of education is maintained, members of the Legislative and opportunities are available to students.
Accessibility As the state land grant institution Washington State University must be affordable and accessible to all qualified state residents. For this reason we will strongly advocate for continued state support of higher education. This will ensure that additional cuts will not be balanced on the backs of students through tuition increases. We will support proposals that focus on maintaining stable and affordable levels of tuition for undergraduate students. We support continued assistance for low income students through programs such as the State Need Grant, State Work Study, and other forms of financial assistance. In addition, adequate services to inform, advise, and assist students through the financial aid process should also be provided. As Washington’s state university, it is the duty of WSU to provide education for the residents of our state, and we aim to ensure this remains a top priority.
Tristan Hanon ASWSU Pullman 509.335.9591
Joshua Wright ASWSU Vancouver 360.546.9523
Dana Dweik ASWSU Spokane 509.358.7921
Affairs Departments of the respective Associated Students of Washington State University from all campuses of WSU. Our mission is to advocate for student needs at the state level, while actively encouraging involvement and participation on campus. We seek to inspire our members to advocate for the issues that they care about by organizing events on campus. Our goal is to make the Cougar Coalition a strong and reliable voice that understands the needs of our members and can influence the policy making process in Washington State..
Shirah Thietje ASWSU Tri-Cities 509.372.7128
Legislative Agenda - 2013 Quality of Education With the continued cuts to the WSU budget, students have seen programs cut, fewer available classes, and an overall decrease in the quality of education. Ensuring that the budget for higher education is maintained this year will allow the university to strive for small class sizes, restoration of classes that students need, and a standard of qualified faculty. Maintaining a world class faculty is a key component of a quality education; without adequate compensation recruitment and retention of faculty becomes a challenge. We also oppose differential tuition because it will change the value of degrees and discourage students from pursuing STEM majors. Higher quality education will result in more desirable and competitive degrees.
Opportunity Expansion Conducting research is central to many of our faculty and greatly influences the college careers of our students, as well as providing an additional source of revenue for the University. We will advocate for continue support for the expansion of WSU’s research priorities. Additionally, continued expansion into new degree programs at each of our campuses will allow our students to explore new options and increase their viability in the job market upon graduation. Experience is a vital component employers seek out when hiring recent graduates, therefore providing opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom is invaluable.
Contact Us If you would like more information on the Cougar Coalition or our legislative priorities, feel free to contact us via the information below, or through one of the local representatives at a branch campus in your area.
Tristan Hanon ASWSU Pullman 509.335.9591
Joshua Wright ASWSU Vancouver 360.546.9523
Dana Dweik ASWSU Spokane 509.358.7921
Shirah Thietje ASWSU Tri-Cities 509.372.7128
I
n the past four sessions of the state legislature funding for higher education has been cut by 50%, resulting in tuition nearly doubling since 2008. These massive cuts to the state’s system of colleges and universities have impacted students at Washington State University through increased tuition and decreased quality in our classrooms. Washington State is ranked last in state spending per student, but remains in the top 5 in degree production. This trend of disinvestment cannot The Cougar Coalition is an continue if we are to ensure our universities remain organization composed of accessible, the quality of education is maintained, members of the Legislative and opportunities are available to students.
Accessibility As the state land grant institution Washington State University must be affordable and accessible to all qualified state residents. For this reason we will strongly advocate for continued state support of higher education. This will ensure that additional cuts will not be balanced on the backs of students through tuition increases. We will support proposals that focus on maintaining stable and affordable levels of tuition for undergraduate students. We support continued assistance for low income students through programs such as the State Need Grant, State Work Study, and other forms of financial assistance. In addition, adequate services to inform, advise, and assist students through the financial aid process should also be provided. As Washington’s state university, it is the duty of WSU to provide education for the residents of our state, and we aim to ensure this remains a top priority.
Tristan Hanon ASWSU Pullman 509.335.9591
Joshua Wright ASWSU Vancouver 360.546.9523
Dana Dweik ASWSU Spokane 509.358.7921
Affairs Departments of the respective Associated Students of Washington State University from all campuses of WSU. Our mission is to advocate for student needs at the state level, while actively encouraging involvement and participation on campus. We seek to inspire our members to advocate for the issues that they care about by organizing events on campus. Our goal is to make the Cougar Coalition a strong and reliable voice that understands the needs of our members and can influence the policy making process in Washington State..
Shirah Thietje ASWSU Tri-Cities 509.372.7128
Legislative Agenda - 2013 Quality of Education With the continued cuts to the WSU budget, students have seen programs cut, fewer available classes, and an overall decrease in the quality of education. Ensuring that the budget for higher education is maintained this year will allow the university to strive for small class sizes, restoration of classes that students need, and a standard of qualified faculty. Maintaining a world class faculty is a key component of a quality education; without adequate compensation recruitment and retention of faculty becomes a challenge. We also oppose differential tuition because it will change the value of degrees and discourage students from pursuing STEM majors. Higher quality education will result in more desirable and competitive degrees.
Opportunity Expansion Conducting research is central to many of our faculty and greatly influences the college careers of our students, as well as providing an additional source of revenue for the University. We will advocate for continue support for the expansion of WSU’s research priorities. Additionally, continued expansion into new degree programs at each of our campuses will allow our students to explore new options and increase their viability in the job market upon graduation. Experience is a vital component employers seek out when hiring recent graduates, therefore providing opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom is invaluable.
Contact Us If you would like more information on the Cougar Coalition or our legislative priorities, feel free to contact us via the information below, or through one of the local representatives at a branch campus in your area.
Tristan Hanon ASWSU Pullman 509.335.9591
Joshua Wright ASWSU Vancouver 360.546.9523
Dana Dweik ASWSU Spokane 509.358.7921
Shirah Thietje ASWSU Tri-Cities 509.372.7128
