The public community colleges in Massachusetts were created by the state Legislature in the late 1950s, with the first college, Berkshire Community College, opening in 1960. In the 63 years that have followed, a total of 15 colleges have served hundreds of thousands of students, citizens and businesses, and have in some way touched every city and town in the commonwealth.

While it has always been acceptable to boast about the accomplishments of a Harvard or an MIT or a Wellesley or Mount Holyoke, or to praise UMass, the remainder of the smaller state universities have been celebrated more by their local communities than by the entire state. So, what about those newcomers, the community colleges? Who are their champions?

In the 63 years of their history, community colleges have had to explain, to justify, to defend, and to tout their mission over and over to the public and ultimately to the Legislature, on whom they have had to depend for a fair share of state funding. Coming of age in an environment dominated by a “no new tax” mentality coupled with serious local and nationwide economic downturns, interspersed among short-lived spurts of economic growth, have made community colleges the most efficient and focused segment in all of public higher education.

It must be said, however, that the colleges’ success has always been in the hands of the talented and dedicated faculty and staff who have devoted their talents and skills to ensuring every student who entered their doors was supported, encouraged, and guided on a path designed to help them meet their personal or career goals. The colleges’ faculty and staff have continued to work hard throughout every budget cut, every downsizing, every political challenge, and the recent disruptive pandemic.

So why is it now, in 2023, that a labor contract that was ratified and signed and supposedly funded in the state budget became a political hostage for which approved funding was not allocated, for reasons likely unrelated to higher education?

What could have been a defensible rationale for depriving some of the hardest-working faculty and staff in higher education of their first salary adjustment in three years, especially one that was still modest in scope and cost?

Funding all aspects of higher education is an investment in the future of Massachusetts. It is time for all elected officials to resolve their differences and do what is right for some very valuable citizens of the commonwealth.

Jonathan Daube is president of Berkshire Community College, Cathryn Addy is president of Berkshire Community College, Robert Pura, is a retired president of Greenfield Community College, and Grace Jones is president emeritus of Three Rivers Community College in Connecticut.