I spent a significant amount of time yesterday with a group of community college students from around the state in an attempt to lobby legislators on several issues of interest for our schools. Several legislators, including Minority Whip Frederica Wilson (D) and Sen. Lee Constantine (R) met with us. Wilson was great and really knew her audience and spoke appropriately. It was hard for anyone in the room to have a problem with her, since she was on our side on all the issues of relevance.
Constantine, on the other hand, had his problems. He began his address by telling us that he didn’t even know why he was talking to us and what he was going to say. Not a good start. We wanted to talk to him because he is the sponsor behind a bill that we strongly oppose. This bill would increase the amount of tuition that students would pay if they took more than 120% of the hours needed to obtain their degree. We oppose this bill for several reasons, but the biggest is that this would disproportionately affect community college students negatively. A student in a community college often does not know what they want to major in and does not know what types of classes and subjects are best for them until they have experimented and figured it out by taking classes in different areas. While the bill does include a number of exemptions that clear up some of the issues that concern us, this is not one of those that is addressed and Constantine admitted the same.
But that wasn’t the biggest problem he had, though, it was his attitude and disdain for students that bothered most. He did little to prepare for the speech and seemed not to even understand who he was talking to. He kept referring to the typical limit for the bill for university students — 24 additional credit hours — even though it didn’t apply to the students in the room or to those students who our group represented. As AA/AS degree students, the correct number for our audience would’ve been 12 credit hours, but Constantine didn’t seem to get that.
In the back of the room two students quietly held up signs saying they opposed the bill and he quickly admonished them, telling them “they didn’t know what they were talking about.” He also continually berated anyone that asked a question or questioned the proposal, saying they hadn’t read the bill. In all fairness, people with doctoral degrees often can’t understand the twists and turns of the language that are included in a legislative proposal, much less students who have yet to earn any degree. He did admit that our college presidents had read the bill, but then he summarily said they all got it wrong and misunderstood it with little evidence to back up such a claim.
He talked fast — sometimes too fast to understand — and repeatedly told us how little time he had to be with us (even though he arrived late). He failed to answer some of the important questions he was asked — like what the statistics were that said that we even had a problem that this bill would address — He was combative with students and after he walked outside, he berated his staff for even bringing him to our meeting.
The biggest problem, of course, was his misdirection on the real intent behind the bill. He suggested that the purpose behind the proposal was to increase access to college in Florida by kicking out students who were staying in school too long. That may have some legitimacy if we talk about universities (although he provided us with no info to know if that is true and avoided answering the question altogether), but it has absolutely no validity for community colleges. Everyone who applies to our schools gets in (as long as they do the paperwork and pay the fees) and few, if any, of our schools are facing overcrowding problems. And if they are, wouldn’t the better solution be to increase funding for buildings and teachers, not to kick students out of school? Personally, I think anyone who is taking classes successfully should be allowed to keep taking them as long as they want, even if they don’t get a degree and even though this costs the state money. In the long run, our communities always gain more by increasing the education and knowledge of our citizens, regardless of what a piece of paper says. The real reason behind this bill is to cut money out of the budget and Constantine wants to target the community colleges because they are the most vulnerable and least-represented constituency in Tallahassee. Shame on him for targeting us and shame on him for his dismissive attitude towards the 1.1 million community college students in Florida.
Constantine is a convicted drunk driver. Perhaps that explains some of his behavior.
I would love to address the above comments regarding Senator Constantine. I would first like to say that despite Kenneth Quinnell’s good intentions, his comments are not only biased but untrue. The truth behind the legislation the community colleges object to is that not a single student at that rally understood the legislation and what its intentions or reality were. They were not quiet or polite as implied, they were loud and rude. It was a hostile environment and Senator Constantine was attacked from the moment he walked in the door.
His statements about the facts of the legislation and its non-application to community colleges is also mis-guided. The State of Florida could save $30 million dollars each year if students who were taking 120% more classes than required by their degree had to pay a higher percentage of their tuition. The largest hole in the students arguments is that currently the state pays for approximately 75% of each students tuition, wheras this bill would decrease the state’s portion to 60%. Student;s would be responsible for 40% of their tuition if and only if they had taken 120% of the classes they needed to graduate, with their AA or BA.
That extra $30 million is the money that could help to fund extra buildings and teachers.
His statement that Community Colleges do not have problems with access is incorrect. As one expamle, Seminole Community College (in Senator COnstantine’s district) has a waiting list because they are overcrowded. They are building a campus in Altamonte Springs to help give more access, but they can’t get enough money from the state to fully fund the daily operations of the campus. Why? Because the State only has so much money to go around. The claim that any and all students should be able to take classes for as long as they want regardless of receiveing a degree is a comment that someone who doesn’t pay taxes would make. Unless you are in favor of continuous tax increase for the rest of your life, there has to be a limit to what the State can provide for free for its residents. The fundamentals of the State government are to provide protection and security for its residents. With an ever growing population, and a large population of retirees, Florida is growing faster than it can fund. The State pays for police, fire fighters, medical care, food for those who can’t afford it, all of a child’d education from age 4 to 18 and 75% of each resident’s college costs. At a certain time, a student needs to take on some responsibilty for themselves, and if they choose to take classes beyond 120% of those needed for their degree, it is reasonable to expect them to take on a small amount more of the cost.
On another note – RSS, you clearly have so little to say about policy that that is the best attack you can make. Weak.
I had a bad experience with the senator and his extremely rude assistant. I work for a telecommunications company and the senator’s phone was brought in to be swapped out. The assistant threatend that I would be fired if I did not give him a free upgrade to his phone(because he has telecommunication connections), then she continued to threaten and harrass me to switch over his 8,000 contacts to his new phone. After various attempts, I explained to his office that it was not possible; she then proceded to put me down and she refused to have her interns leave the store until the impossible act was complete. After trying various things I finally told them to go to his office and do the switch with the office labtop. The numbers switched over and everything was fine.
A few days later I received a memo from my manager. The senator’s office sent a letter to my company’s ceo with ridiculous accusations of me making rude and obnoxious comments. The letter was full of false quotes and skewed perspectives. I would have been fired if it weren’t for my three eye witnesses that saw me bending over backwards for four hours for the senator.
I am shocked at how immature the senator’s staff acted. I have met many powerful people that don’t flaunt what they have. I am a leader myself. I am finishing my bachelor degrees in accounting, finance, and real estate. I own many properties and I am starting a development firm. If I had more liquid assets, I would file a law suit on the senator’s office for libel.
Even the senator’s interns talked about how difficult he is. They said that he would lose conrol over the smallest situations, such as his morning fruit not being on his desk. I don’t think a man with such little self control should have a position of power. Alcoholics with anger and power issues belong in A.A. not in the senate.