University President Teresa Sullivan joined Piedmont Virginia Community College President Frank Friedman, and Delegates Steve Landes, R-Albemarle, and David Toscano, D-Charlottesville, Tuesday afternoon on a panel to discuss higher education. The forum was hosted by the University’s chapter of Virginia21, a nonpartisan youth-based advocacy group.
Third-year College student Brendan Wynn, president of the group, said he hoped the event would encourage students to take an active role in advocating for their education. “We learned from what happened last summer that the students have a voice,” he said. “We have a real opportunity to make a big difference in what happens at the University.”
The event was part of the organization’s larger efforts to inform young Virginia voters about the political debates and policies which directly affect their life. Following that trend, panelists discussed everything from state funding for education to faculty retention.
“The projection is that by the year 2020 no university will receive money from the state,” Sullivan said. “It’s a tough time for public education.”
Regardless of state funding, Friedman said PVCC will not change the number of applicants they accept.
“Our mission is to educate anyone who can benefit from college education,” Friedman said. “We take everybody and all comers. Unlike universities who cap their freshmen at some number, we don’t do that. No matter how much we’ve received from state or federal government, we take in anyone.”
Landes and Toscano said funding for higher education was typically a nonpartisan issue in the House of Delegates, offering an opportunity for politicians to reach across the aisle.
“I do think the General Assembly has shown over the last couple years that there needs to be more general investment [in education] and we need to be a part of the solution,” Landes said. He added that tuition increases were going to be a necessary part of funding universities moving forward, however.
Toscano said under-investment in higher education had serious consequences for students.
“As we lower the amount of state support, the greater your tuition is going to be — and we all know about the debt explosion that is happening among young people,” he said. “Fortunately, this university is in a better position than others.”
Toscano also encouraged students to advocate for their own education by petitioning their local delegates.
“You all don’t live in Charlottesville — find out who your delegates are,” he said. “Tell them we think we need more money for our higher education. You’d be surprised by how few a number it takes to make us do things.”
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