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LanthorG R A N D V A L L E Y

THE ST UDENT-RUN NEWS PAPERS AT GRAND VAL L EY. W

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012

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T

he Michigan legislature might nally

be on to something.

As the suits in Lansing beginestablishing the executive budget for the2013 scal year, cash-strapped public

universities might nally feel some relief

from the legislature as they explore new

funding models that would make stateappropriation less enrollment-based and

more performance-focused. If the Michigan

legislature follows through with its plansand establishes a new funding model that

looks at performance over enrollment

factoring in graduation rates, production ofhighly-paid majors and Pell Grant recipi-

ents GVSU could nd itself in a much

better place come 2013.As the system currently stands, the

funding for public universities in Michigan

is awarded per-pupil according to outdated

student enrollment gures, and therein lies

the problem. Grand Valley State University,

for example, has seen a 44.4 percent risein enrollment over the last 10 years

the most dramatic increase out of any ofMichigans 15 public universities. Despite

the boom in enrollment, its somehow only

managed to decrease in state funding to itscurrent status as the lowest-funded public

university in Michigan, with only $2,365

per student in government appropriations.Legislators have been asking universi-

ties to do more with less, even going as far

as to penalize universities that raised tuitionby more than 7 percent for the 2011-12 aca-

demic year with lower funding, but have

yet to actually reward those who heed thecall. Despite its low funding, GVSU has

the fourth-highest six-year graduation rate

of the 15 Michigan public universities at

61.1 percent, and GVSU Preside

J. Haas accountability report sh

GVSUs nursing program, whichRick Snyder identied as a key g

for the state, has a 100 percent pfor graduates and a 93 percent p

undergraduates.

The most successful universistate are innovating, making do w

and keeping graduates employedstate (84 percent for GVSU alum

those are the qualities that the st

be recognizing.GVSU is in a unique position

still-budding university, the per-

tion neglects to account for rapid

and the funding needed to accomthat growth. Low funding has pr

the university from hiring additi

members to teach popular cours

EDITORIAL

New formulas for state appropriation more fairly represent universit

SIZE ISNT EVERYTHIN