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Jr.-college
4-yr.-degree
plan
takes
a
big
blow
By
Howard
Fischer
CAPITOL
MEDIA
SERVICES
April
6,
2005
PHOENIX
- A
Senate
panel
dealt
a
serious
and
potentially
fatal
blow
Tuesday
to
efforts
by
community
colleges
to
offer
four-year
degrees.
On
a 6-5
margin
the
Appropriations
Committee
killed
the
House-passed
proposal,
which
would
have
let
half
of
the
campuses
provide
junior-
and
senior-level
courses
leading
to
baccalaureate
degrees.
Most
of
the
lawmakers
sided
with
the
pleas
of
university
lobbyists
who
said
the
issue
needs
further
study.
That
argument
drew
derision
from
Rep.
Laura
Knaperek,
R-Tempe,
who
said
it
was
nothing
more
than
a
tactic
by
the
three
state
universities
as
well
as
the
network
of
private
colleges
that
fear
competition
from
what
she
believes
are
more
cost-efficient
community
colleges.
"This
is
like
the
third
time
we've
heard
this
bill
over
probably
the
last
15
years,"
Knaperek
said.
"So
it's
not
like
this
needs
more
study."
But
her
call
for
legislative
action
now
wasn't
helped
by
opposition
from
the
Arizona
Tax
Research
Association,
a
group
that
represents
major
taxpayers
such
as
mines
and
utilities.
These
are
the
companies
that
would
bear
much
of
the
burden
if
community
colleges,
which
are
largely
dependent
on
local
property
taxes,
had
to
raise
more
money
to
expand
their
offerings.
Knaperek
said
something
has
to
give.
She
said
the
universities
are
rapidly
approaching
their
capacity,
with
the
University
of
Arizona
already
having
decided
not
to
increase
the
number
of
students
on
its
main
campus.
"When
there's
45,000
students
that
aren't
going
to be
able
to
access
higher
education
in
the
state,
I
would
think
it's
the
Legislature's
responsibility
to do
something,"
she
said.
The
other
alternative,
Knaperek
said,
is
boosting
state
funds
for
the
universities.
But
she
said
it
costs
far
more
per
student
to
educate
someone
at
one
of
those
three
schools
than
at
community
colleges.
Knaperek
said
the
scope
of
her
legislation
is
limited.
It
would
permit
degrees
only
in
law
enforcement,
fire
services,
health
professions,
teacher
education
and
any
"work-force-related"
discipline
where
a
degree
is
not
offered
by
one
of
the
universities.
John
Kavanagh,
director
of
the
criminal
justice
program
at
Scottsdale
Community
College,
backed
that
up.
He
complained
that
rural
peace
officers
are
unable
to
pursue
baccalaureate
degrees.
But
Greg
Fahey,
lobbyist
for
the
University
of
Arizona,
said
Knaperek
is
getting
ahead
of
herself.
He
said
study
is
needed
to
determine
exactly
where
the
gaps
are
and
then
determine
the
best
way
to
plug
them.
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