Face the State Staff Report
DENVER-State Sen. Sue Windels (D-Arvada), wants state funding for more buildings on Colorado's college campuses, even though she helped commission a report that found over $270 million in vacant campus buildings statewide.
In 2003 Windels co-sponsored legislation to create the Office of State Architect (OSA), in order to specifically address concerns about empty higher ed buildings. Since then, the OSA annually issues a report entitled "The Vacant Buildings Report." According the report, the state currently has 66 vacant or semi-vacant buildings at eight higher education institutions, totaling nearly 30 million square feet and valued at $271.5 million. This number is an increase over the 2004 report, which showed 60 buildings with a replacement value of $249 million.
Despite the State Architect's catalog of vacant buildings, Windels denies that the vacant buildings exist. In a letter to constituents on February 12, 2007, Windels claimed that Colorado needs additional funding for higher education capital construction, and a week later she responded to questions by emphatically saying "there are no empty buildings on college campuses." She referred to the State Architect's inventory of state buildings but has ignored the vacant buildings report.
Even though Colorado has $270 million worth of vacant higher ed buildings, Windels is demanding more money, giving priority to Higher Education Capital Construction over the Department of Transportation. That department is responsible for repairing decaying roads, fixing dangerous bridges, and improving Colorado's transportation infrastructure.
Some have criticized Windels' unwillingness to look at vacant higher ed buildings. Former University of Denver President and 2006 gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman stated that efficiency is needed in higher education. "I know first hand that there will always be more efficient ways to better utilize existing university property. The state architect points out that there is currently $271 million worth of vacant space available. It seems quite hypocritical that Senator Windels commissioned this study and now finds it convenient to disregard her own information." Likewise, think tank chief Jon Caldara stated that the number of surplus buildings makes "it hard to believe there is a true budget shortfall."
Restructure higher education first
On April 8th, 2007 Another skeptic says:
The state's schools need to reassess their long-term strategies and capital needs before they ask for more money.
They need to ask whether kids will need class rooms or better software for online classes.
They need to ask whether the schools can use research facilities for teaching rather than research that mostly replicates other research designed to win tenure and grants for the researchers.
They need to look for ways to trim frivolous programs such as ethnic studies, women's studies, social work and basket weaving.
They need to look for professors who will work for less money and do a better job of teaching than the expensive names.
There is so much waste in higher education that voters should not pour more money down the rat hole.
Rebuttal
On April 5th, 2007 Irish rover says:
Then how much money do you think the state can make by selling those buildings and the land they sit on in order to build other facilities? Isn't that an efficient solution?
But this is from the same state and bureaucrats who raze buildings such as Bear Creek High, which they already renovated and are still paying for in order to build a brand new one. Would you do this with your own home budget?
The truth of the matter...
On April 3rd, 2007 LarimerBoy says:
is that a lot of that vacant space is in pitiful condition. You need money to fix those places up. Not to mention the fact that there a multitude of repairs needed at many of the universities in Colorado. To demonstrate how large of a need there is, the students at Colorado State voted to charge themselves a fee to fix up buildings due to the lack of state funding. This is a huge problem in Colorado and it's about time someone did something about it. Our institutes of higher education are the breeding grounds for our future business leaders and the building blocks of an innovative economy.