UW Students Organize Against Budget Cuts

Regarding “better management”, Mark Emmert (President of UW) has made his share of mistakes, such as committing the university to too many capital projects during the good years. However, it is not appropriate for legislators such as Rep. Priest to try to get into the business of running UW. Furthermore, cathartic as it might be to try to “punish” Emmert by cutting the budget, it would be the students and ultimately Washington’s economy that is punished by that move.

For the sake of disclosure, I am a grad student at UW, though would probably not be directly affected by the proposed cuts.

Regarding “better management”, Mark Emmert (President of UW) has made his share of mistakes, such as committing the university to too many capital projects during the good years. However, it is not appropriate for legislators such as Rep. Priest to try to get into the business of running UW. Furthermore, cathartic as it might be to try to “punish” Emmert by cutting the budget, it would be the students and ultimately Washington’s economy that is punished by that move.

For the sake of disclosure, I am a grad student at UW, though would probably not be directly affected by the proposed cuts.

I say this as a former student and UW grad who spent more time among the student body and faculty than I ever imagined doing: While the need grant’s loss of funding is an issue, Mensing’s overstating the problem with the loss of staff funding dramatically.

If anything, UW was once a selective public school but is overenrolled now that they let in practically anyone that can form a few cohesive sentences on a piece of paper. Only in the last few years have they tried to restrict enrollment instead of just letting any qualified applicant in. Spend a day in Odegaard and the “intelligence” and “work ethic” of the students you work among will make you wonder if the school has any actual admissions standards at all nowadays.

Larger class sizes pose their own sets of problems but it’s not going to destroy the fabric of UW’s educational system the way Mensing claims it will. He’s just lobbying without anything of substance to back it up, mostly to preserve some expendable staff and volunteer positions (including, of course, his own). They’d be better served just being more stringent about who they let in until things improve.

As I’ve been told many times before (in case you feel like getting angry at me instead of those who told me this)… nobody is entitled to anything, and certainly not a UW education.

I say this as a former student and UW grad who spent more time among the student body and faculty than I ever imagined doing: While the need grant’s loss of funding is an issue, Mensing’s overstating the problem with the loss of staff funding dramatically.

If anything, UW was once a selective public school but is overenrolled now that they let in practically anyone that can form a few cohesive sentences on a piece of paper. Only in the last few years have they tried to restrict enrollment instead of just letting any qualified applicant in. Spend a day in Odegaard and the “intelligence” and “work ethic” of the students you work among will make you wonder if the school has any actual admissions standards at all nowadays.

Larger class sizes pose their own sets of problems but it’s not going to destroy the fabric of UW’s educational system the way Mensing claims it will. He’s just lobbying without anything of substance to back it up, mostly to preserve some expendable staff and volunteer positions (including, of course, his own). They’d be better served just being more stringent about who they let in until things improve.

As I’ve been told many times before (in case you feel like getting angry at me instead of those who told me this)… nobody is entitled to anything, and certainly not a UW education.

@ 2:
I agree that no one is entitled to a UW education, on the basis that no one should really feel entitled to anything- they should earn it.
However, I didn’t see you put anything but bitterness to your claim.
While the number of students rose for a while, so did their GPAs and tests scores-signifying more competition and more qualified applicants. In 2002 the average GPA was 3.63, while in 2007 it was 3.7, and has risen since.

In fact, in 2007 the Seattle Times was talking about record GPAs and SAT scores for entering freshman. I’ve included the link Here

@1
Point of clarification: By “better management” Priest was referring to the State in allocating funds, not how the University itself runs.

@1
Point of clarification: By “better management” Priest was referring to the State in allocating funds, not how the University itself runs.

Preserving the State Need Grant should be an exceptionally important priority this year for all Washingtonians. It benefits low and middle income students at all higher education institutions (while UW’s ‘Husky Promise’ grants are in danger from these cuts, the State Need Grant also provides access to higher education through community colleges in 39 of the state’s 49 legislative districts…). Further, cuts to financial aid from the state will force higher ed institutions to redistribute some internal funding, resulting in further cuts to the quality of education.

At stake with the state need grant: access to a high quality education for all Washington citizens.

Preserving the State Need Grant should be an exceptionally important priority this year for all Washingtonians. It benefits low and middle income students at all higher education institutions (while UW’s ‘Husky Promise’ grants are in danger from these cuts, the State Need Grant also provides access to higher education through community colleges in 39 of the state’s 49 legislative districts…). Further, cuts to financial aid from the state will force higher ed institutions to redistribute some internal funding, resulting in further cuts to the quality of education.

At stake with the state need grant: access to a high quality education for all Washington citizens.

@Gomez

Perhaps these budget cuts are exactly what the university needs. Limit the amount of students accepted. Save resources, stop stretching the faculty to the limit, and focus more on increasing the strength of our academic programs. As cold hearted as today’s perception of higher education makes denying students sound, a lower percentage of applicants admitted would reduce these lazy freeloading peers of mine. Raise the standards for admittance and accept those who have true academic and intellectual drive. As an incoming freshman, I’ve notice a lack of intellectual and academic stimulation from my peers that I had hoped to find in this prestigious “Harvard of the Northwest.” At the rate we’re going, perhaps it should be replaced with “ASU”.

@Gomez

Perhaps these budget cuts are exactly what the university needs. Limit the amount of students accepted. Save resources, stop stretching the faculty to the limit, and focus more on increasing the strength of our academic programs. As cold hearted as today’s perception of higher education makes denying students sound, a lower percentage of applicants admitted would reduce these lazy freeloading peers of mine. Raise the standards for admittance and accept those who have true academic and intellectual drive. As an incoming freshman, I’ve notice a lack of intellectual and academic stimulation from my peers that I had hoped to find in this prestigious “Harvard of the Northwest.” At the rate we’re going, perhaps it should be replaced with “ASU”.

@6
You’re basing your entire argument on the dangerously ignorant opinion that limiting the number of students accepted will filter in only the most qualified- instead of only the most well off.

@6
You’re basing your entire argument on the dangerously ignorant opinion that limiting the number of students accepted will filter in only the most qualified- instead of only the most well off.

And in case I hadn’t mentioned, I am also a UW student and am receiving absolutely no form of financial aid from the state or the school.

And in case I hadn’t mentioned, I am also a UW student and am receiving absolutely no form of financial aid from the state or the school.

@7

Yes, raising the standards for admission (ie. SAT, Extra curricular involvment, GPA, etc.) will filter in more qualified students than I have experienced here, and this decrease in overall admitted students will allow for more flexibility in the amount of aid given (even if the total amount budgeted for aid is shrinking like the limit as x approaches 0 from the left of the function 1/x), as opposed to giving aid to a less than qualified, unmotivated kid who belongs in community college.

@7

Yes, raising the standards for admission (ie. SAT, Extra curricular involvment, GPA, etc.) will filter in more qualified students than I have experienced here, and this decrease in overall admitted students will allow for more flexibility in the amount of aid given (even if the total amount budgeted for aid is shrinking like the limit as x approaches 0 from the left of the function 1/x), as opposed to giving aid to a less than qualified, unmotivated kid who belongs in community college.

@9
I will not attempt to change your outlook, you clearly have made up your mind about the entire 40,000+ student population here.

I will point out a few interesting facts in your statement.
1. You are saying a decrease in overall admitted students will allow for more flexibility in the amount of aid given, does this imply that those ‘lazy’ students now at the UW are also the students getting financial aid?

2. You mentioned how those ‘less than qualified, unmotivated’ students ‘belong in community college’. Are you implying that only lazy, unqualified students attend community college, rather than a mixture of students who did not excel and students who could not afford 4 year universities?

Lastly, I took calculus also, it doesn’t make me any more qualified to assume the intellect of every student at the University of Washington.

@9
I will not attempt to change your outlook, you clearly have made up your mind about the entire 40,000+ student population here.

I will point out a few interesting facts in your statement.
1. You are saying a decrease in overall admitted students will allow for more flexibility in the amount of aid given, does this imply that those ‘lazy’ students now at the UW are also the students getting financial aid?

2. You mentioned how those ‘less than qualified, unmotivated’ students ‘belong in community college’. Are you implying that only lazy, unqualified students attend community college, rather than a mixture of students who did not excel and students who could not afford 4 year universities?

Lastly, I took calculus also, it doesn’t make me any more qualified to assume the intellect of every student at the University of Washington.

@9
I will not attempt to change your outlook, you clearly have made up your mind about the entire 40,000+ student population here.

I will point out a few interesting facts in your statement.
1. You are saying a decrease in overall admitted students will allow for more flexibility in the amount of aid given, does this imply that those ‘lazy’ students now at the UW are also the students getting financial aid?

2. You mentioned how those ‘less than qualified, unmotivated’ students ‘belong in community college’. Are you implying that only lazy, unqualified students attend community college, rather than a mixture of students who did not excel and students who could not afford 4 year universities?

Lastly, I took calculus also, it doesn’t make me any more qualified to assume the intellect of every student at the University of Washington.

3. While it’s an admitted limited sample, I had a harder time earning As and Bs at UNLV than I did earning 3.0s and 4.0s in UW. Instructors here are surprisingly forgiving.

And no really, go hang out at Odegaard’s computer lab during the middle of a school day and see what kind of distinguished scholars this university lets in. What you observe over the course of an hour or two may well surprise you.

3. While it’s an admitted limited sample, I had a harder time earning As and Bs at UNLV than I did earning 3.0s and 4.0s in UW. Instructors here are surprisingly forgiving.

And no really, go hang out at Odegaard’s computer lab during the middle of a school day and see what kind of distinguished scholars this university lets in. What you observe over the course of an hour or two may well surprise you.

3. While it’s an admitted limited sample, I had a harder time earning As and Bs at UNLV than I did earning 3.0s and 4.0s in UW. Instructors here are surprisingly forgiving.

And no really, go hang out at Odegaard’s computer lab during the middle of a school day and see what kind of distinguished scholars this university lets in. What you observe over the course of an hour or two may well surprise you.

So, the UW and WSU are both whinning a/

So, the UW and WSU are both whinning a/

So, the UW and WSU are both whinning a/

@ 2:
I agree that no one is entitled to a UW education, on the basis that no one should really feel entitled to anything- they should earn it.
However, I didn't see you put anything but bitterness to your claim.
While the number of students rose for a while, so did their GPAs and tests scores-signifying more competition and more qualified applicants. In 2002 the average GPA was 3.63, while in 2007 it was 3.7, and has risen since.

In fact, in 2007 the Seattle Times was talking about record GPAs and SAT scores for entering freshman. I've included the link Here