Lori Ann Sherman, president of Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College.
With gas prices skyrocketing as a result of Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, those who live and work in rural communities across the United States are feeling the economic reality at the gas pumps.
Students, staff, faculty and administrators at Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) are among those severely impacted.
“It impacts our students because the price is so high, and it’s hard enough to buy your books let alone worry about paying for gas to get to class,” said Lori Ann Sherman, president of Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC), a TCU in Michigan. “It’s really affecting our staff and faculty as well, because we’re the ones who travel in every day.”
In an effort to stem the booming costs, President Biden released one million barrels of gas from the U.S. reserve, with plans to release more over the next six months. As the war in Ukraine shows no sign of slowing, and sanctions on Russian oil and gas imports keep the prices hovering above $4 a gallon on average, many TCUs are making plans to accommodate the steeper expenses well into the summer and beyond.
At KBOCC, Sherman said it’s not uncommon for students, faculty and staff to drive over 20 miles to reach their campus in L’Anse.
“We have one taxi, and there’s no public transport, no buses,” said Sherman. “What I’ve done for staff and faculty is offered a rideshare program that we just started last week. But that still makes it hard. I live about 25 miles from campus, and no one lives around me.”
