Now comes the hard part for Bruce Benson.
Tiptoeing through a minefield of difficult questions and dodging protesters on the University of Colorado’s four campuses soon will seem like a breeze for Benson, who was named president of the CU system this week.
The waters at CU are much calmer after three years of Hank Brown at the helm, but the 6-3 vote that gave Benson his new job — split down party lines with six Republican regents in favor and three Democrats against — is emblematic of the partisan hysteria that surrounded his selection process.
Those negative feelings, particularly among faculty and students, won’t subside quickly. But we’re confident Benson will disarm his detractors as he’s done in the past. It’s also important to note that the three dissenting regents agreed to back Benson as he moves forward. And the Democratic lawmakers who raised questions about his selection are ready to work with him.
“To win, or to come out less bloody than the other guy, we need as many people in our corner as possible,” said Regent Stephen Ludwig, who voted against Benson.
Funding is issue No. 1 for CU. But it’s more complicated than just looking under statehouse rocks for cash. Colorado’s entire funding scheme for higher education needs to be re-evaluated.
Outgoing president Brown is pushing for a system that looks at how a school’s peers are funded before doling out cash. The idea, ultimately, is that schools with the more expensive programs will get more money. It’s an interesting idea that needs continued vetting to ensure smaller schools with less expensive programs aren’t irreparably damaged.
The president of CU also needs to provide leadership for all of higher education.
One of Benson’s first phone calls should be to the leaders of an effort to raise severance taxes in Colorado. They want more money for renewable energy projects and the protection of open space and wildlife habitats. But they also acknowledge that colleges and universities are strapped for cash and they’re willing to at least talk about the possibility of sharing some of those newfound resources, should voters approve.
It’s a tall order, but it would be a wonderful legacy for Benson if, when he’s done at CU, state lawmakers and taxpayers had reached a consensus that higher education is not only important to our economy and overall well-being, but it’s worthy of being a top funding priority. Higher education could do its part by proving to taxpayers that it’s operating as efficiently as possible and providing results.
Then, the days of fighting over scraps could end.
