The UA's request for nearly $52 million in funding from the state to retain faculty and foster new collaboration between business and technology is a sensible request that will prove a boon for both the university and state in the future.

Legislators would be smart to approve the proposal, which seeks to proactively combat future brain drain.

The phenomenon dubbed "brain drain" occurs when professors leave one institution for another, often jumping ship to find better facilities and pay.

The UA was the victim of this exact condition two years ago, when four respected scientists left campus for the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The researchers who flocked to Georgia cited that the state legislature there was much more supportive of higher education than the fiscal conservatives that dominate Arizona's statehouse.

For the past three years, lawmakers have told college students across Arizona that it's time to start paying for a larger portion of their education. Students have met this requirement in the form of tuition increases that at the UA have grown by nearly $2,000 during that same time.

Students have demonstrated they understand the value of a degree from a nationally-recognized research university and have shown initiative in paying for it.

It's time for the Legislature to make good on its end, helping all graduates leave with a degree that is respected and competitive in the job market.

Paying $51.6 million now to keep highly coveted faculty here makes good sense from an academic and business perspective.

The long-term benefits of collaboration between research and business outlined in the proposal will bring back gold for a state that is on the cusp of becoming a world leader in sciences, specifically biotechnology.

The Legislature must meet these demands now and in the future; otherwise they risk the flight of the state's education and business benefits to other states that understand the importance of funding education.

Opinions Board

Opinions are determined by the Wildcat opinions board and written by one of its members. They are Caitlin Hall, Ryan Johnson, Damion LeeNatali, Aaron Mackey and Mike Morefield.