Take Action Now

One need look no further than the examples shown in this testimony such as the North Carolina 2000 bond bill to see the profound and long-lasting impact that this kind of investment will reap for our economy and the long-term strength of our country. The time to act is now.

If you support a new call for education investment, make your voice heard. The following letter has been prepared for you to copy and paste into the body of an e-mail to your Senator and Congressperson.

Find your Senator here. You can easily sort the list by state. Once you locate your Senator, simply click the “Web Form” link to connect with your Senator.

Find your Congressperson here. You can sort the directory by state/district. You will need your 9-digit Zip Code to complete the form. You can find your 9-digit Zip Code here.

Sample Letter for Your Senator and Congressperson

Dear Senator / Congressperson [Insert Representative's Last Name]:

I write to bring your attention to a call to action report (www.1millionsmartjobs.com) which addresses a way to invest in our future that would have an extremely positive short and long term impact on our economy. It consciously follows on the heels of the stimulus bill as perhaps a more robust way to get our economy moving.

This report recommends a targeted investment in new infrastructure for higher education. Specifically, it spells out how an investment of $50 billion in new university construction would immediately create over 1 million jobs within the next 2 years. This is supported by the reality that, contrary to public belief, there are numerous shovel-ready university projects throughout our country which could break ground within the next three to six months.

In addition to the immediate economic impact of construction-related jobs, these buildings would also teach and train our industry leaders of tomorrow while increasing the ability of universities to act as economic engines in our communities. Areas such as North Carolina’s Research Park Triangle or Silicon Valley, are but a few of many examples of how investment in education translates into the economic growth of a region.

There is a crying need for these new facilities. About 18.3 million students will attend the nation’s 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities this year, an increase of about 3.0 million since fall 2000. However, most of our state universities and many of our private colleges are currently undersized to serve these students. At many of our nations smaller liberal arts colleges, students are studying science and engineering in labs that are woefully out of date and undersized. And, college enrollment is expected to continue increasing, reaching a projected 20.4 million in fall 2016. Without an investment in new facilities, we will be in a crisis mode to serve this kind of growth.

I hope that you will consider the points of this report as a platform for new investments in higher education facilities. I believe it will show you a way to produce jobs that will help us recover today and prosper tomorrow. By investing in new university teaching and research facilities we can meet this challenge now.

Sincerely, [Insert Your Full Name]

Need More Information?

This Web site was produced by:

Ayers Saint Gross
1040 Hull Street, Suite 100
Baltimore, MD 21230

For more information, contact Adam Gross at agross@asg-architects.com or at 410-347-8500.

The intent of this site is to illustrate the long term value of investing in higher education infrastructure. It is not intended as a definitive reference source or comprehensive list of shovel-ready projects. Our thanks to the colleges and universities who have provided information for this document. Additional information was gathered from a variety of sources.