By Linda Stamato

Just so. And, in this year, the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act (thanks to another great president, Abraham Lincoln), we have reason to be in awe of our public colleges and universities and the education they provide to our citizens. At the same time, we have to be concerned about who has access to them.

Shouldn’t we be concerned about the class gap that has been widening over the last generation? The main cleavage, after all, is along educational lines between the 30 percent of Americans who have a college degree and the 70 percent who do not. We know the implications: College graduates make more money (about 70 percent more) than high school graduates, and that figure is up by 30 percent since 1980. Their jobs are more secure; their lives are more stable; they are healthier, more likely to vote and to volunteer in their communities.

So, in short, we have compelling reasons to try to improve educational prospects for more of our citizens. Our economy, moreover, certainly warrants investing in the institutions that provide it. Time and time again, we hear about the need for investment in higher education in order to grow our economy, increase its tax base, etc. We hear it because it is compelling. Investment in competitive learning opportunities positions the state to benefit from innovative developments, to attract private investment for the long term, and to stimulate the economy in the short term through the creation of jobs.

Access, opportunity, affordability and capacity: These factors are especially critical in New Jersey, given our high cost of living and our low state support for higher education. (By most measures, New Jersey ranks 32nd in per-capita spending.) Our state’s schools have tuition costs that are among the highest in the nation. Rutgers, for example, at $13,000 per year in tuition and fees for New Jersey residents, is eighth among the nation’s flagship campuses.

So, where am I heading with this? We have a bond issue for higher education before us on Nov. 6. The Building Our Future Bond Act, Public Question No. 1, is an important measure for the state. It is a good thing to bring this vote before the people, for the public colleges and universities are the public’s institutions. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But the public needs to know more about what is before them.

Some facts: This is a capital projects bond issue. The money would be used to expand classroom, laboratory and other space for academic purposes, positioning colleges and universities to expand capacity and, at the same time, to attract faculty and generate federal research dollars, thus improving the quality of the educational program for students. (The institutions will be required to match 25 percent of the funds they receive.)

The last bond issue for investing in higher education occurred in 1988, almost a quarter-century ago. That issue, for $350 million, aided the development of important research centers, boosted the use of technology and produced improved laboratories, allowing New Jersey to compete. In the intervening years, colleges and universities have stretched their own capacities to try to keep up. A state investment is long overdue.

Are we falling short of providing sufficient places for students to be educated in New Jersey? It’s hard to answer that question precisely. We do know that many students do choose to go elsewhere. But for those who would prefer to study here, do we have adequate capacity? And are we retaining the best and the brightest at our senior institutions? How do we do that? Certainly, access and opportunity — and attractiveness — go hand in hand. As the public institutions press to keep tuition and related costs at reasonable levels and enhance their desirability, it’s obvious that greater assistance from the state in this regard — for operating expenses — will not be forthcoming in the near future, if ever. The percentage of state support in Rutgers’ budget, for example, hovers at 20 percent. Clearly, Rutgers needs to attract private support, grants and contracts to keep tuition low and financial aid support high. It’s not alone.

What the state can provide — what the public can support — is help with facilities. Bond funds, in short, will help the vital effort to keep a learning experience of high quality within reach of the young (and not-so-young) people of our state.

We have an important public purpose here: to educate the citizenry, to prepare the work force to sustain, even strengthen, the competitive standing of the state. Vote to support the bond issue; vote ”yes” to “build our future.”

Linda Stamato is co-director of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

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