MinnPost photo by Jay Weiner

University President Robert Bruininks spoke to students at a rally in support of 'U' funding today at the State Capitol Rotunda.

"What do we want?"

"Affordability!"

"When do we want it?"

"Now!"

It wasn't the most musical of chants, but it cut to the chase. At a noon rally in the State Capitol Rotunda, about 120 University of Minnesota students gathered to kick off a day of lobbying lawmakers.

There to cheer them on and encourage them were Gov. Mark Dayton; Republican Sen. Dave Senjem of Rochester, a member of the Senate Higher Education committtee; U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison; and university President Robert Bruininks, who later testified before the House Higher Education Policy and Finance Committee.

GOP House leaders have talked about a 15 to 20 percent cut in university funding; from about $100 million to $130 million over the biennium. Dayton has proposed a more modest 6 percent cut.

Bruininks told the gathered students, and the House committee afterward, that the university is at a "tipping point."

Noting that the university is the state's key economic engine, Bruininks said: "Time and time again, I hear from Minnesota’s business leaders: We would not be here without the University of Minnesota."
 
And he said the university can't continue to raise tuition to cover additional budget cuts.
 
He added: "We are doing more with less ...[But] we are out of 'less.' "

The battle over higher ed funding at the Legislature will be one of the more pointed ones as the session moves on.

Here's a transcript (PDF) of Bruininks' testimony.