Following the barely-passed bill granting $969 million for construction projects at universities and colleges across the state, Republicans said a more conservative budget will soon be enacted when their party gains the majority in January.

The construction package was approved Friday, though many voiced concerns over approving this type of spending in light of the predicted $1.5 billion deficit facing the state in the 2012 fiscal year. The bill passed through the Senate 25-7 before barely making it through the House due to strong Republican opposition.

That $1.5 billion deficit is a serious deterrent to approving large spending projects, especially as the state government closed for six days in 2009 to save money and only eliminated a $484 million deficit for the 2011 fiscal year by using more than $1 billion in one-time federal assistance, according to the Associated Press.

While setting the 2012 budget will not take place until October 2011, citizens should still take an active role now in petitioning their representatives about their priorities in an effort to protect those areas from potential cuts. This is especially true for anyone who benefits from Michigan’s higher education system, which has been an easy target for cuts and reduced budgets in recent years.

The reservations in passing this most recent construction bill meant to benefit state schools shows this trend likely to continue in the next fiscal year. No one knows the monetary neglect of the state government better than Grand Valley State University as the university has received the least per-student funding of all state schools for several years despite its growing student body.

Though balancing the state budget, especially in the current economic climate where Michigan still boasts the second highest seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate, poses a difficult task and comments from the Republican Party foreshadow more potential cuts in higher education spending, GVSU should not be alarmed. We will carry on.

As previously mentioned, GVSU has received the least amount of state funding in per-student appropriations for several years, currently receiving $2,742 less per student than the state average. However, through a successful strategic plan, efforts toward sustainable buildings and other partnerships, GVSU has continued to offer a quality education experience and expand the campus with numerous construction projects every year to accommodate its ever-growing student body, all while maintaining the fifth-lowest percentage of increase tuition of the 15 state universities.

This is an accomplishment truly worth applauding and is one that should give the GVSU community confidence in the future wellbeing of the university, with or without state support. The state’s continued lack of support for higher education is truly a shame, yet its schools and universities continue to be a prime target for cutbacks. In a struggling state, cultivating a successful future workforce is one of the most important things in which to invest. In an interview with President Thomas J. Haas at the beginning of the 2010-11 academic year, he said, “With the uncertainties, we need to anticipate, adapt and maybe lead some of the changes that are going to be prompted by what is happening around us. But I still want to maintain the stability and the quality of services that the students have come to expect at Grand Valley.”

It is this type of attitude embodied in the university’s administration that has made GVSU as successful as it is today. It would definitely be easier on the university and its students if the state offered more support, but thus far that is not the reality in Michigan. As the newly-elected state officials take office in January and bring with them a level of uncertainty, GVSU can take comfort in its track record of self-sufficiency up to this point.