GRAND JUNCTION — Mesa State College students voted 493 to 128 this week to impose a $5 per credit hour tuition increase on themselves in order to raise professor salaries at the college.

The premium, which students voted on Monday through Wednesday online, could generate $699,500.

Newly re-elected Associated Student Government President Adam Davenport said the 365-vote margin showed students have “pretty resounding” support for the one-time tuition premium for the 2008-2009 school year. But he expects the state Legislature to come up with a longer-lasting solution to higher education funding. That solution could include more state money for operations so colleges could move more money into teacher pay.

“Students are willing to stop the bleeding, but the state’s going to have to perform surgery,” Davenport said. “It’s not meant to be a permanent fix — we can’t expect students to shoulder a cost the state should be providing.”

The premium question was placed on the associated student government ballot after state Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, wrote a footnote in the state’s long bill requiring students to approve the measure before it became part of the 2008-2009 budget. Buescher said Thursday he was “proud of the students” for voting yes and wanted to assure them the state would look into college fee and tuition premiums next legislative session.

“Clearly this is an issue that needs to be studied more,” Buescher said. He added the joint budget committee, which he heads, has asked budget officials to perform an audit on how fees and tuition premiums are being used by colleges.

Tom Acker, an associate professor of Spanish at Mesa State, said he hopes the state will consider collecting more severance tax money from the energy industries to pay for higher education in a fashion similar to Wyoming’s state Legislature. He said his students, colleagues and Grand Junction are keeping him here, but he feels it’s hard for professors to live on Mesa State salaries.

Acker said he makes $52,000 a year. According to the American Association of University Professors Journal Academe, the average salary for full-time teachers at Adams State College, Fort Lewis College and Western State College are $63,900, $67,500 and $65,600, respectively. Those three figures are in the bottom 20th to 40th percentile of professor salaries in the nation, Acker said.

“Salaries are what allow (professors) to pay the bills and keep their family protected. Right now, the salaries are not doing that,” Acker said.

Holding on to teachers by fattening their paychecks is why Mesa State freshman Amelia Jacob voted for the tuition premium.

“If our professors leave because they’re not getting paid enough, they’re going to leave and we’re not going to have a school,” Jacob said.

Students who don’t like the premium will be replaced with students willing to pay it, said Mesa State sophomore Aaron Hughes.

“I think over the last year or so it’s been talked about that prices are going to rise and as long as its for a good cause people will be OK with it,” Hughes said.

Reach Emily Anderson at eanderson@gjfreepress.com.