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Doug Fasching, PSU Advocates

Testimony before the Ways and Means Committee

Co-Chairs Schrader and Scott, I am Doug Fasching and I am here representing the Portland State University Alumni Advocates. The PSU Advocates are affiliated with the PSU Alumni Association and represent alumni and friends of the University. I am a product of both public and private universities – I received my bachelor’s degree from PSU and my JD degree from Willamette University. Today I work at Standard Insurance. I grew up in Portland not far from here and am pleased that I have been able to stay in this community and give back to my university.

I am here tonight to thank you for your support of higher education, specifically Portland State University. I am also here to urge you, despite tight finances, to make investment in higher education a priority.

I want to comment briefly on budget priorities for higher education.

First, PSU has experienced tremendous increases in enrollment – and expects an increase in the fall. In 1995, PSU served just over 14,000 students. This fall, the University’s enrollment exceeded 24,000 students. Therefore, a primary priority for limited funds must go to instruction – undergraduate and graduate – and we urge you to continue the premise of the RAM funding model approved in 1999, which means the state funds follow the students.

Second, because access and excellence are the flip sides of the same coin at PSU, the Advocates urge you to support the Governor’s plans for increasing financial aid and allowing the universities to use tuition remissions to attract highly talented students.

Thirdly, while students are the heart of a university, faculty are the soul of a campus. Excellent faculty bring excellent students. Excellent faculty bring additional resources to the state in the form of research grants. Excellent faculty bring national recognition to the university and to Oregon. The Advocates support increasing faculty salaries as a priority for state funding.

Finally, the Governor has made investment in capital construction at OUS institutions a priority, focusing on deferred maintenance. As part of this package, Portland State University would receive funding to renovate and upgrade Shattuck Hall. That building is an old elementary school and needs to be made accessible, as well as have improvements made for energy efficiency. Deferred maintenance is a challenge at all the public universities and it is especially difficult to address because it simply doesn’t have the appeal for donors that new building construction has – it is hard to put a donor name on a new pipe or heating and ventilation system. Yet, ignoring this problem doesn’t mean it will go away, the problem is simply compounded over time.

Obviously more than these four priorities need funding from the state to help higher education remain competitive. These are the priorities of the PSU Advocates and reflect the immediate needs of Oregon’s largest university.