'Bomb' dropped on higher education

This from the Herald-Leader:

..."The 2020 goals have just become 2028 goals," [Michael] McCall, [president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System] told the House Budget Review Subcommittee.

In 1997, the legislature set such goals as doubling the state's number of bachelor's degree holders to 800,000 and making the University of Kentucky a Top 20 public research university. The reforms mandated these initiatives to lift Kentucky's standard of living to the national average.

However, Gov. Steve Beshear has called for a 12 percent cut to help deal with a projected $590 million shortfall over the next biennium.

McCall said KCTCS would lose $33.5 million from a 12 percent cut. If KCTCS relied solely on tuition to offset the reduction, students' cost would go up 27 percent.

A huge increase like that would contradict the KCTCS goal of providing an affordable, easily accessible education, he said.

KCTCS would face its most dramatic setback if its next two-year state appropriation does not include $10 million in operating funds it needs to open 14 buildings statewide in 2008.
Without the $10 million, he said, "the only funds to be spent will be for chains and locks, as the Board of Regents has directed us not to open these buildings, which cost the commonwealth $248 million," McCall said....