The Washington Student Association (WSA) has honored state Rep. Gerry Pollet with its “Legislator of the Year Award” for 2013.
Pollet was hailed for his work toward lifting Washington out of its dismal national ranking in college and university funding, and for strengthening the voice of students in the legislative process.
WSA is comprised of representatives from 11 Washington college and university campuses. More than 120,000 students pursuing a degree at the associate, baccalaureate, graduate, or professional level are served by the Washington Student Association.
“Most legislators recognize that students need to be involved in policy discussions related to higher education because, you know, we’re the ones most affected and have the biggest stake,” said E.B. Vodde, president of the Student Association, “but Representative Pollet really went out of his way to ensure that happened.”
Vodde added that Pollet “continually brought students to the table. Whether it was discussing potential performance-based funding proposals, sponsoring a limiting of differential tuition, or just giving us a call out of nowhere to get the student take on a particular issue, he made certain that students had a front-row, involved and integrated seat in policy proposals that specifically affected us.”
“This heartwarming honor means so much to me,” responded Pollet, who is the vice chair of the House Higher Education Committee.
“My priority this year was to have our state take dramatic steps forward to increase access to quality higher education — and to end 27 years of unrelenting tuition increases,” the Seattle legislator said.
“It has been a joy to work with the student representatives, the entire WSA team in Olympia, and with students on the campuses for our shared goals. I’ve also been moved by the student lobby team’s articulation of values and willingness to speak up for those values in some fairly intimidating circumstances this year.”
Pollet noted that state Rep. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor (26th Legislative District), who chairs the Higher Education Committee, “shares a deep commitment to hearing and learning from our students, and to making tangible progress on access. Without his commitment and leadership, those of us who serve on the committee and participate in the ’24 corner stakeholder meetings’ could not be effective.”
Pollet celebrated the “collaborative effort both in winning a major increase in funding and in stopping a tuition increase for the first time in decades.
“Further, and on a bipartisan basis, together with WSA,” Pollet said, “we moved House Bill 1624 out of committee to set a new policy for state-funding to increase in future years with tuition rolled back to not exceed 10 percent of median household income. Also, we moved House Bill 1669 to give students a voice in reviewing proposals to remove state support for graduate-degree and professional-degree programs and make the programs entirely student-fee supported. HB 1669 not only passed the House, but it was the next bill up on the Senate calendar when the clock ran out on floor action in this year’s session.
“I look forward to our joint effort in passing both of these measures in 2014,” Pollet said, “as well as legislation to close tax loopholes, thus making our tax system fairer, and then using the resultant, additional funds to strengthen public schools and ensure greater access to higher education. Which brings me to the objectives sought in another proposal that fell just short this year, House Bill 1494, which I will also continue to push in the 2014 session.”
Pollet vowed sustained collaboration with WSA activists and other advocates for higher education.
“We have much to accomplish. I will continue working with folks who want to move our state away from its, frankly, very rank 49th national ranking in higher-education funding,” he said.
Pollet said Washington “should adopt a goal for tuition not to exceed 10 percent of median household income.” He further explained that the Evergreen State needs to provide increased state support for public colleges and universities, and to:
- Remove barriers to aid for all qualified students.
- Restore adviser services and access to programs providing fair compensation for faculty and staff.
- Return state support for graduate and professional programs for public-service careers which have been made fee-supported.
- Ensure that students’ voices are represented fully as partners in decision-making.
- End the threat of differential tuition, in order to preserve the state’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program.
WSA will formally award Pollet as part of the Association’s Lobby Day event during the 2014 legislative session.
Earlier this year, the University of Washington’s Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) also honored Pollet as the GPSS “Legislator of the Year.”