Illustration by Cody Angell

The UA stands here today in a unique position to make critical decisions about admissions, tuition and allocation of resources that will shape the way students learn at this institution for decades to come.

There is a big problem that must be confronted not only for current students but for those to come in the future. Let's face it: UA is accepting more freshmen each year than it can handle. Examples of this (to name a few) are inaccessibility to advising, crowded dorms and class sizes that bring new meaning to the phrase, "I feel like a number." Students are tired of hearing professors call out, "Number 54691, that was an excellent point in your paper from last week."

The UA can't just keep growing at the rate that it has been. Space and resources won't allow it. Before too long, there will be no space left for more dorms and parking garages, let alone more classrooms.

It's all just a big wheel that keeps spinning. Every year, UA is flooded with applicants from Arizona, the rest of the country and everywhere else in the world. The applicants residing in Arizona have one special advantage when it comes to applying: UA has to accept them.

Students applying to the UA need only to meet very minimum standards to get in: keep a 3.0 GPA in high school, be in the top 25 percent of your high school class, get a 1040 on the SAT or a 22 on the ACT.

Oh, and one more thing: The cool Arizona Constitution demands that the education be as cheap as possible. What a great set of rules we've got to work with! Basically, UA has to serve more students than it probably should while charging them less than what it costs to educate them. The problems seem almost insurmountable, but ·

Never fear, President Likins is here!

Likins is responding to these problems by working with others to develop a strategic plan that will reduce class sizes and make additional funds available to the UA. In a recent memo, Likins wrote that due to Arizona Board of Regents' standards, "the individual universities have been able to Īmanage' growth only in negative ways (such as through shortages of classes or residence hall beds); we have very little discretion in quality control, and we find ourselves admitting students whose academic profile almost guarantees frustration and failure in this academic environment."

Unfortunately, the manner in which the state currently funds the UA is largely through enrollment. If the Board of Regents allows UA to cut enrollment, the money lost will have to be gained elsewhere.

One viable solution to this problem is to raise tuition. As Likins wrote in his memo, "We are pleased to be experiencing great success in the competition for research contracts and private gifts, but at the same time, the revenue share from the State General Fund is steadily shrinking and tuition revenues are suppressed by ABOR policies."

Increasing tuition is just one way that UA can save more money. There has also been talk about eliminating or offering fewer programs. Since state funding is decreasing and private and federal funding is increasing at UA, many departments have been squeezed. This is because private and federal funds must be used for the specific purpose for which they were given, whereas state funding can be disbursed throughout the university. This means that if a department or a program does not get grants or receive private funding, it is becoming harder and harder for UA to fund it.

This issue always stirs up emotions. But sometimes the sacrifice of the few is necessary for the good of the whole. This, however, is made especially difficult by the fact that the benefits of cutting a department will take a long time to take effect. As Likins wrote, "The modification or elimination of academic programs will require extraordinary solidarity to address both internal and external constituency concerns. The financial and academic benefits of such stressful work will be delayed in time, while the pain will be immediate."

There is also something about these issues that students can do. Before UA can make almost any of these changes, the Board of Regents must approve. Students should support Likins' goals by lobbying their student government and ABOR to allow our administration to get the job done.