As arguments have heated over whether a University of Washington branch campus should go in Everett or Marysville, some lawmakers from other parts of the state appear to be cooling to the whole idea.
The local turf battle doesn’t seem to be the reason. Rather, it’s genuine concern over whether the state can afford a new campus, a rational question.
But with Washington’s production of bachelor’s degrees near the bottom of the national heap, and the negative impact that will have on our future prosperity, the answer is that we can’t afford not to make significant new investments in higher education — including this one. Over the long term, a campus in Snohomish County will help address critical needs in two key ways: by providing access to bachelor’s degrees to a large, underserved population, and producing graduates in high-demand fields that will fuel economic growth across the state.
Some lawmakers are worried that a new campus will create just one more mouth to feed from an inadequate supply of funding. Rep. Mike Sells (D-Everett), vice-chairman of the House Higher Education Committee, is trying to ease such concerns with an amendment to a House bill that would establish a UW branch campus in Everett. Like an amendment to a companion Senate bill, it would clarify that a capital plan for a new UW North campus will be balanced with needs on other campuses, consistent with the Higher Education Coordinating Board’s overall master plan.
“In other words, get in line,” Sells said.
A new campus shouldn’t undercut funding for the state’s existing ones. It should, conversely, add voices and votes to the effort to do what must be done: increase the state’s overall investment in upper-division learning. Creating a new campus to serve Snohomish, Island and Skagit counties also creates new legislative allies with a more direct stake in the cause of higher education. Fifteen lawmakers serve the heart of the three-county region, after all.
The debate over siting is secondary to the larger issue of serving students by providing high-demand degree programs. Launching a UW North campus this year in temporary quarters is an important step in that direction, and lawmakers and the governor need to take it. The larger effort, adequate and sustainable funding for all the state’s four-year campuses, must follow.
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