Historical September 1990 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
June 25, 1990 Dear Editor: Governor Ashcroft’s veto of the $1 million appropriation to begin the proposed Cooperative Engineering Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis suggests that there is something wrong with Missouri’s higher education. Voters should be hesitant in their support of an increase for higher education until certain questions are answered. Why are resources continuing to go to the University of Missouri-Rolla, a dying campus, and UM-St. Louis, the only growing campus in the UM system, is thwarted at every turn in its quest for resources? Why has the governor gone out of his way to insult the Cooperative Engineering Program developed by UM-St. Louis, with the help of Washington University and UM-Rolla, to bring engineering to the citizens of St. Louis?
All studies conducted to date have declared that this program is vital to the economic development of the state.
It is predicted that one-third of the total American work force will be comprised of minorities by the 21st Century. Why, then, have Lincoln University, Harris-Stowe State College and UM-St. Louis received so few resources for engineering while UMRolla, and UM-Columbia received a disproportionate share of resources?
These institutions have so few African-American students, UM-Rolla less than 3% and UMColumbia fewer than 5%.
Until I can receive satisfactory answers to these questions, I will not be able to vote in good conscience for a tax increase. I find it incredible that the governor of our state would risk killing the higher education tax campaign to prevent an engineering program, previously approved by the Board of Curators, from developing in an area of demonstrated need. Perhaps it is time to begin thinking of organizing UM-St. Louis as a separate institution from the University of Missouri system with its own board of curators from the St. Louis region. Sincerely, William L. Clay, Jr. State Representative (D) 59th District
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, September 1990.
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Original source: SD_Times1990_09.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
