The press release went on to quote Rep. Rob Kreibich, R-WI, co-chair of NCSL’s commission, “We call state legislators to action. They have the power to demand that we do better, to demand that we think of higher education not as the balance wheel of budgets, but as an investment in our future.”
Rep. Denise Merrill, D-CT, co-chair of NCSL’s commission, was also quoted in the press release as saying, “It is a national imperative that states reframe the message that higher education is vital to the success of our citizens, to the economic vitality of our states, and to the competitiveness of the country. States must take the initiative to reform higher education now, to avoid unnecessary federal intrusion. Each state’s systems, traditions, strengths and weaknesses are unique. States need the flexibility to set their own goals. Higher ed has always been a state responsibility and it must remain that way.”
The commission identified four specific ways legislators have contributed to problems in higher education:
They have not set clear goals and expectations for higher education.
They have not made higher education a legislative priority.
They have not exerted strong leadership on the issue.
They have funded higher education reactively, rather than strategically.
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