Over the past four years, public investments in higher education have made planned progress to the University System of Maryland — and our entire university in particular a reality. It is no secret that providing students with a valuable education is both the university’s and the state’s mission. Indeed, as the university is a public institution, the state has mandated that a quality education be accessible and affordable to all. Yet, that mandate can only be fulfilled through the political and financial support of our elected officials.
Under the leadership of Gov. Martin O’Malley, our university has elevated itself and become a world-class university in the face of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. But the continued success of our institution is at risk.
Former Gov. Bob Ehrlich seeks re-election after being defeated by O’Malley four years ago. Ehrlich’s vision for the state is a direct challenge to the policies and strategic investments made by the O’Malley administration that have allowed our university to thrive. For students and for our university, the stark contrast between O’Malley and Ehrlich is clear.
It was only four years ago under Ehrlich that the university system was the sixth most expensive public institution in the country. Today, it is the 21st and ranked by Kiplinger magazine as the eighth best value school in the nation. And it was only four years ago, under Ehrlich’s tenure, that in-state undergraduate tuition sharply increased by 40 percent. Since Ehrlich, tuition has increased by a modest 3 percent after it was frozen for 4 consecutive years. Furthermore, Ehrlich failed to provide state funding to adequately accommodate this university’s needs, while O’Malley increased state appropriations by nearly 24 percent to keep pace with our competitors and to encourage progress.
In fact, after taking office, O’Malley and the state legislature created a dedicated funding source for higher education — the Higher Education Investment Fund. Since its inception, the HEIF has made critical investments in higher education that exceed $100 million. Investments such as HEIF have kept our university afloat in the face of tough budget cuts and service reductions.
O’Malley’s investment in higher education is not just an investment to equip students with skills that create productive citizens — it is an investment in the state’s future economic well-being. His partnership with higher education is essential to fostering an environment in which innovative ideas thrive and which ultimately support the vitality of our state’s workforce.
Perhaps there exists no more important an elected office in our state than that of governor. This state is among only a few in which the legislature only has the power to decrease — and not to increase — the governor’s proposed budget. And that is why the governor’s budget-making authority is not only one of the most concrete expressions of our state’s public policy but also why the office is so important to students.
A generation of students already experienced the neglect — financial and otherwise — Ehrlich and his administration brought on our university. And when students overwhelmingly voted against Ehrlich’s policies in 2006, elected officials had the incentive to take student concerns seriously. Students will have another opportunity to have our voices — and choices — heard on Nov. 2.
We can continue to move our university forward, or we can go back to the days when the university’s future was unstable and uncertain. I know I do not want to compromise the value of my diploma, and I hope you do not want to compromise yours.
Andrew Steinberg is a senior criminology and criminal justice and government and politics major who has volunteered for the O’Malley-Brown campaign. He can be reached at steinberg at umdbk dot com.
