OUR VIEW: Student force is growing

Bartering with the Legislature can be a tricky thing, especially when it comes to asking for more money in the public education system, be it K-12 or higher ed. It requires more than just a little give or take on both sides. The Utah Student Association and other student lobbyist groups should be commended for an excellent job this session. While not all of their goals were met completely, the rapport they established with the Legislature will be enjoyed by students, and therefore Utah universities as whole, for many sessions to come.

By aligning their priorities with the Board of Regents, the issues they presented lawmakers with hit with double force. Regardless of how much funding was actually secured, legislative members are quickly realizing how much influence students really do, and should have.

Much of the success should be contributed to the decision to hire an executive director for USA. This move allowed the group to identify their priorities early, and provided badly needed organization.

Both USU administration and members of the Board of Regents have commented that this could possibly be the most effective session student lobbyists have had. The Board of Regents, Trustees and other higher education entities should also be acknowledged for being so open to students ideas. Their cooperation was crucial to success of making those on Capitol Hill aware of the issues students and faculty face daily.

Students, who are undoubtedly relieved to know tuition won’t be rising as steeply as it was thought, should also be relieved to know they really do have a voice in the Legislature. And thanks to the efforts of both students and university administration, it’s growing louder.