A13B220DAD0C4BA38725847E005A56D7 Hearing Summary

Representatives from Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) came to the table to present to the committee.  Dr. Janine Davidson, President, introduced herself to the committee and distributed information regarding the university and its budget (Attachment A).  Dr. Davidson gave an overview of MSU Denver and the demographics that the university serves.  She discussed total cost of attendance and the impact that a decline in state funding has had on this total cost.  She further discussed the ways that MSU Denver keeps costs down despite a lower investment from the state.  She talked about different strategies the school is undertaking to reduce costs for students and programs the school offers to help students with the high cost of obtaining a degree.  She talked about the importance of open academic resources, which save students money on textbook costs.  She discussed supports for low-income students and how the university addresses housing and food insecurity. She talked about possible reasons students do not finish the application process and cited financial reasons and the complicated nature of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as the main reasons for students not finishing the application process.  She explained that MSU Denver participated in free application day, which led to a high number of applications being submitted to the school.  Dr. Davidson stated, however, that limited staffing led to a delay in processing the high number of applications.

Danielle Holmes, President of the Student Government Assembly at MSU Denver, and Jermain Dobson, student at MSU Denver, introduced themselves to the committee and discussed their background and experiences at the school.

Dr. Davidson answered questions from the committee regarding possible higher education budget cuts.

Tim Foster, President, Colorado Mesa University (CMU), introduced himself and the other panelists from CMU: Allison Griffin, trustee of the CMU Board of Directors (board), Ray Analonis, trustee of the board, Beau Flores, President of the Associated Student Government of CMU, and Angel Bautista, Vice President of the Associated Student Government of CMU.  The panelists took turns telling the committee about their backgrounds.  The presentation from CMU can be accessed here: http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/committees/2017/interim_committee_slides_9.23.19.pdf.  President Foster provided an overview of CMU and the school's mission.  CMU has a partnership with Western Colorado Community College to accept students not initially accepted at CMU with the option to transfer to CMU.  President Foster discussed the school's efficiency measures and the school's retention and graduation rates.

Mr. Bautista discussed the attainment gap at CMU and the difficulties first generation students can have in navigating the higher education application and financial aid processes.  President Foster discussed services that CMU provides for students, including offering college and career advisors in high schools, peer academic coaches on campus, and professional mentors.  Mr. Flores discussed how these services have helped him at CMU.  President Foster discussed funding disparities at different schools and Mr. Analonis discussed the possibility of tuition increases at the school and now to attract more students.  Mr. Flores discussed the partnership the administration has with students in setting tuition and fee rate increases.  President Foster discussed possible changes to the higher education funding formula, including incentivizing new concurrent enrollment programs, as well as providing more supports for first generation college students.  The panel made concluding comments to the committee and emphasized the importance of supporting first generation students.

President Foster answered questions from the committee regarding benefits to the school if Proposition CC passes and the impacts of a possible budget cut to higher education funding.  He also answered questions about the services the school offers to address student housing and food insecurity and other barriers for students.  Mr. Flores discussed access to transportation for students.  Ms. Griffin also answered questions from the committee.