Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                            Bridget Brown    Matthew Dulin 
Ray Hafner                  Geronimo Rodriguez                Lisa Street

Listen to this

UH President and System Chancellor Jay Gogue is up to his "listening" act again.

This time, it's focused on students' opinions on the tuition-setting powers endowed upon Texas public universities last year. 

Gogue met with state lawmakers in a series of hearings on tuition deregulation, which was recently wielded by The University of Texas when it raised its tuition after initially saying it wouldn't. 

UT System Chancellor Mark Yudof got quite a grilling in Austin over his $32.5 million increase. In his defense, Yudof cited the $40 million in budget cuts in the wake of a statewide budget shortfall. He also told legislators that he consulted student leaders on the subject, and they told him the increases were reasonable. 

But someone missed something, because UT students aren't all pleased with the increases, which are asking students (or their parents) to cough up an extra $400 to pay for classes. 

We can ignore UT's problems only if we want to endanger our own funds.

And at this point, it's not a question of whether UH should raise its tuition — it must to accommodate growth and a quality education — it's a question of how much and when. 

Last year, the UH Board of Regents approved a $19 million increase. You can bet more is on the way.

In February, Gogue is planning to hold hearings on campus to field student opinions on the subject. It is of paramount importance that every student consider the issue and voice his or her views. This will be our chance to participate in a discussion that will sway the decisions the regents make. We could save ourselves from the grief UT students are feeling now.

Students should call for moderated increases and a firm commitment to providing ample funds in the University's financial aid piggy bank. 

It's important for Gogue to hear from a wide range of students — not just the leaders. Let's not repeat UT's mistake.

Send comments to dccampus@mail.uh.edu