An Evening for Higher Education
Ohio State Undergraduate Student Government
Hosts “An Evening for Higher Education”
COLUMBUS - The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) at The Ohio State University is hosting the fourth annual "An Evening for Higher Education" on Tuesday, March 3, at 6 pm in The Ohio State University Urban Arts Space (Lazarus Building). University President E. Gordon Gee, city council members, and more than 25 legislators from across the state will convene to hear students' concerns about the funding of higher education and its increased importance in the midst of the recession.
"We are very grateful for the Governor's recent extension of the tuition freeze, but now more than ever, as the state considers a series of cuts to the budget, we want to make sure higher education is off the chopping block. Funding does not merely affect those students in college right now, it is critical to the well-being of the state as a whole," said Craig Gibson, USG member.
The evening will commence with a video presentation by USG's Government Relations Committee. Prospective students, current students, and alumni of Ohio State will express their personal accounts of the struggles associated with paying for college and their appreciation of the Governor's protection of higher education's budget. Following the video, Undergraduate Student Trustee, Ms. Debra Van Camp, of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees, will share her story of the obstacles she faced and overcame to attend Ohio State.
"Knowing that the people of Ohio have invested in my future has given me a great sense of pride and responsibility in shaping the future of our state. Continuing to improve access to quality educational experiences will require a sustained commitment from students, universities, and government leaders," said Van Camp.
After the presentation, students will have the opportunity to sit down with the legislators that represent their voting district and talk with them one-on-one.
"We want to create meaningful interaction between these important decision makers and an underutilized constituency--the college vote. It's very important that those making the decisions have a face to put with these issues and that students have a face to put with the names they see on the ballots in November," said Josh Ramzy, coordinator of the event.
In previous years, the event has played a part in securing, promoting, and advocating tuition freezes, like that of Governor Strickland in 2007, as well as, a financial education program in the Student Wellness Center on campus. Particularly this year, USG's goal is to ensure that higher education does not lose any funding from the state.
"With an economy in severe need of assistance from the state, there are many different considerations that legislators must take into account when examining the budget. Sometimes, financial assistance to industry and the job market can produce more immediate and visible results. However, we are asking legislators to view an investment in higher education as a long term investment with a huge payoff. By ensuring that state funding for higher education remains a top priority, the state is expanding access to quality higher education and allowing more students, who innovate the job ideas for tomorrow, to receive an education they both want and deserve," said Anne Evans, Director of the Government Relations Committee.