COLORADO

Dwayne Nuzum, Executive Director, Colorado Commission on Higher Education

The Challenges

Growth projections for Colorado are based primarily on the increase of public high school graduates. For the next four years, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) projects an average increase in high school graduates of about 5 percent per year.

• Like most western states, Colorado will see a change in the mix of students, with an increase in the number of minority high school graduates.

• 40-45 percent of the state's high school graduates continue on to postsecondary education; we do not anticipate any increase in this.

• By age, the nontraditional student population in higher education is not projected to grow; the next 10 years will actually see a decline in the age cohorts under 18 and 30-39 (Figure 2). However, students will continue to come back–perhaps as many as four times during their lifetime–for upgrades, career changes, etc.

• Higher education's proportion of general fund appropriations continues to decline in Colorado: from 21 percent in 1986-87 to 13.5 percent in 1996-97. The state also has a limited growth amendment which restricts growth in the funding of institutions and the amount of revenues higher education can acquire. Projected growth in higher education exceeds the limits allowed in the amendment.

Some Strategies

Three years ago CCHE began working with the legislature to develop and implement strategies called "Access to Success" to meet the challenge of population growth. They include:

Tie admission index scores to likelihood of student success. Two Colorado institutions lowered their admission scores, three remained constant, and seven four-year institutions raised index scores.

Reduce program offerings. We are moving ahead in reducing program offerings. For example, at one Colorado university we have reduced the number of courses in the core curriculum from 600 to 300.

Improve deployment of faculty, administrators, and staff. We have made progress in lowering the student/faculty ratio at the undergraduate lower division level and improving the deployment of faculty.

Limit the state undergraduate subsidy at four-year colleges. This strategy requires state legislation, and we are not sure that will happen.

Eliminate state subsidy for avocational courses at community colleges. We were successful in eliminating the subsidy for avocational courses; they are now cash funded.

Guarantee course availability. We are working to guarantee course availability; the University of Colorado arts and sciences faculty guarantees students course availability now.

Eliminate remedial courses for recent high school graduates. Our community colleges provide remedial courses; we are trying to move that to K-12.

Privatize selected public programs. The Commission has proposed privatization of selected public programs; this will require legislation. Programs that receive less than 10 percent of their funding from state general funds, such as law, engineering, and business schools may be not-for-profit in the near future.

Accept student transfer credits from accredited non-public colleges. Colorado has a good record in transferability of credits, but we do not recognize credits from non-public colleges. We are working to make those credits transferable.

Enhance funding for use of classroom technology. We believe there can be savings through the use of technology in teaching.

Expand use of existing facilities during non-peak periods. We anticipate savings by expanding the use of existing facilities during non-peak hours.