Campuses Confront Bad Budgets, Fast Growth, and Hot-Button Debates.

UNIVERSITIES & colleges; FEDERAL aid to higher education; BUDGET cuts; RETENTION of college students; UNDOCUMENTED immigrants -- Education; COLLEGE students; COLLEGE costs; COLLEGE teachers' salaries; PACIFIC & Mountain States; FINANCE

The article presents a discussion of several issues faced by universities in the Mountain West region of the U.S., focusing on ways in which decreased federal funding will impact their budgets and strategic plans. Efforts by colleges in the region to eliminate academic programs and restrict hiring due to budget cuts are discussed along with plans by many universities to establish strict goals to emphasize college completion. Controversy surrounding proposed laws in Arizona regarding the education of illegal immigrant students is also highlighted. Several statistics are provided regarding college student demographics, college costs at public and private universities, and the salaries of college teachers in states including Montana, Utah, and Nevada.