July is drawing to a close and already the challenges of fall loom large. With the new legislative session convening in January, planning for the year ahead already is well underway.
Now, more than ever, faculty creativity must come to the forefront.
States like North Carolina face extraordinary budget short falls. Jobs are not coming back to the economy. Housing is not recovering as hoped. And businesses are still quite limited in their ability to start or expand.
This year, the universities with the help of the General Assembly shifted some additional burden to families in the form of tuition increases. But what now?
Those of us in the university system cannot simply think about how to protect our own. We must look comprehensively at the needs of the state and help our representatitves find solutions to the myriad of issues. And we have the expertise to engage in this process on our campuses in our faculties.
That thinking should be happening now.
But we also must remember our rights as citizens as November elections are upon us. Asking all of our candidates about their positions and their priorities, about their plans and solutions is imperative. We have to elect people who can put forward practical programs to meet our needs and make sure the leadership listens.
The time will not come again and our options will be limited if we drag our feet or refuse to assume some responsibility.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment