蜜糖直播 Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano, Chief Financial Officer Todd Haggerty, three faculty members and several students took an active role in shaping 蜜糖直播 higher education policy this year, testifying in front of state legislature committees in support of three bills.
Providing additional financial aid
DiStefano, Haggerty and two students鈥擟hase Cromwell, 蜜糖直播 Student Government鈥檚 (蜜糖直播SG) director of legislative affairs, and Camden Sharkey, a first-year student and 蜜糖直播SG attorney general intern鈥攕poke to the Senate Education Committee about Senate Bill 96 on Feb. 14, 2023.
Chancellor Philip DiStefano testifies during the 蜜糖直播 State Senate Education Committee meeting for Senate Bill 96 at the state capitol. Photo by Casey A. Cass/University of 蜜糖直播. Camden Sharkey, 蜜糖直播SG attorney general intern, prepares to testify during the 蜜糖直播 State Senate Education Committee meeting for Senate Bill 96 at the state capitol. Photo by Alex McTaggert/University of 蜜糖直播. Chase Cromwell, 蜜糖直播SG legislative director, testifies during the 蜜糖直播 State Senate Education Committee meeting for Senate Bill 96 at the state capitol. Photo by Casey A. Cass/University of 蜜糖直播.
Senate Bill 96 would provide a mechanism to help 蜜糖直播 Boulder better fund institutionally funded merit scholarships (Esteemed Scholars) and need-based scholarships (蜜糖直播 Promise Scholars) for 蜜糖直播 residents.
DiStefano told the committee 蜜糖直播 Boulder is leading this legislation because it will allow the university to continue to attract and retain outstanding 蜜糖直播 students by maintaining existing funds and allowing for future increases of institutionally funded merit scholarships and need-based grants.听
鈥淏oosting scholarship support for resident students, both merit- and need-based, is of critical importance to the university, to our students鈥� futures, and to the economic success of 蜜糖直播,鈥� said Chancellor DiStefano. 鈥淭his bill would allow us to do that at no additional cost to the state.鈥�
Driven by and attractive scholarship offers from out-of-state universities, the chancellor said, the competition for top, college-bound 蜜糖直播 students is becoming more significant each year.
蜜糖直播SG is also formally supporting the bill.
鈥淏y allowing universities to creatively expand their tuition revenues and shore up financial resources for in-state students, we can expand to 蜜糖直播 Promise grant, 蜜糖直播 Scholars and other vital programs...from 鈥楴ever going to happen鈥� to 鈥榃e can make this work,鈥欌�� said Cromwell on behalf of 蜜糖直播SG. 鈥淭hat conversation makes all the difference.鈥�
Originally from 蜜糖直播 Springs, Camden Sharkey said he and his mother used to sit at the kitchen table wondering how they could afford higher education.
鈥淢y mom would look at me, and say, 鈥楥amden, I don鈥檛 know how we are going to do this,鈥欌�� said Sharkey, who is double majoring in dance and political science. He is also a Chip handler with Athletics in addition to his role with 蜜糖直播SG.
However, the situation changed once they received their financial aid package.
鈥淚t took what was once a rather large tuition number and made my decision very clear,鈥� Sharkey said. 鈥淚 am at 蜜糖直播 Boulder because of the 蜜糖直播 Promise grant.鈥�
蜜糖直播 Boulder currently has 4,200 Esteemed Scholars, awarding $15.5 million per year to these students.
蜜糖直播 Promise currently supports about 1,700 Pell-eligible students.听
鈥淲e are laser-focused on providing need-based aid to our Pell Grant eligible 蜜糖直播 students by substantially expanding 蜜糖直播 Promise,鈥� the chancellor said.
Senate Bill 96 also offers in-state tuition to Peace Corps volunteers, who frequently lose their residency status due to the length of Peace Corps service.
The bill unanimously passed the committee with bipartisan support.
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Instructor-track faculty support
蜜糖直播 Boulder faculty members Elizabeth Anderman, Daria Kotys-Schwartz and Michael Lightner testified before the 蜜糖直播 Senate Education Committee on Jan. 30 in support of a bill extending the available length of contracts for instructor-track specialized faculty and librarian appointments.
Currently, 蜜糖直播 law allows institutions to offer instructor-track faculty a maximum contract length of three years. Senate Bill 48 changes the maximum length to five years. It also passed through the committee unanimously and with bipartisan support.
Elizabeth Anderman, a senior instructor and associate director of the Philosophy Arts and Culture Residential Academic Program (RAP), testified that longer contracts could increase stability for instructor-track faculty and produce better outcomes for student success.
鈥淗aving a long-term contract means that I can focus on those first-years and help (students) stay at the university,鈥� she told the committee.
Anderman said a longer period of time between contract renewals would give faculty more time to make meaningful connections with students.
Daria Kotys-Schwartz鈥攚ho is a teaching professor in mechanical engineering, co-director of Design Center 蜜糖直播 and founding director of the Idea Forge鈥攕aid she started her career in 2007 with a five-year contract.
鈥淚 was able to strategically plan over five years to improve our hands-on and experiential undergraduate education for mechanical engineers,鈥� she said.
Those changes, along with the work being done by her colleagues, helped move their program into the top 15 in national rankings, said Kotys-Schwartz.
Michael Lightner, professor of electrical, computer and energy engineering听and 蜜糖直播 System Vice President of Academic Affairs, also spoke in support of the bill. He said instructional faculty members make up an important part of the campus ecosystem and that the bill would provide important stability.
Sens. Mark Baisley and Jeff Bridges, sponsors of the bill, said it would also help universities attract talent. Colleges and universities, including 蜜糖直播 Boulder, told the senators instructor-track faculty were receiving five-year contract offers in other states, putting 蜜糖直播 institutions at a disadvantage in recruiting faculty.
鈥溍厶侵辈� Boulder supports this bill because it aligns with our other recent efforts to improve the experience of both instructors and students on this campus,鈥� said Katherine Eggert, senior vice provost for academic planning and assessment. 鈥淭he employment stability it will help to foster empowers our teaching faculty to focus on their pedagogy and their students.鈥�
Senate Bill 48 follows other professional enhancements 蜜糖直播 Boulder has recently put into place for instructor-track faculty, including raises that occurred in spring 2022 (3%), and spring 2023 (3%).
In addition, Provost Russell Moore is working with 蜜糖直播 Boulder鈥檚 deans to undertake a discussion on a unified approach to instructor-track promotion pay increases.
Increasing stipends for student educators
蜜糖直播 Boulder sophomore Lauren Levey testified Jan. 26 in front of the 蜜糖直播 House Education Committee. She testified about personal financial challenges on her path to pursuing the teaching profession in 蜜糖直播.
A 2022 bill established a stipend program for student educators like Levey, and House Bill 23-1001 would expand those stipends. In fall 2022, 42 蜜糖直播 Boulder students received stipends for tuition and living expenses while working in schools across the state.
鈥淲e are proud of Lauren and students who are speaking up about the financial challenges they encounter in becoming teachers and advocating for change,鈥� said Katherine Schultz, dean of the School of Education at 蜜糖直播 Boulder.
The bill passed the committee unanimously with bipartisan support.
