8/18/06
I'm convinced the number one reason for continual tuition hikes is research. In order to do more research schools must hire more people so they have a better chance of receiving state government grants and dollars for more buildings, more support people and more status.
In order to prove this point I would like the state universities (public) and state legislature to show the accounting on additional funds granted for research dollars versus teaching dollars.
If you want better graduates then demand more money be spent on teaching and not on research. Research dollars should come from the Federal Government and private foundations requesting the reseach and not the state.
I always say "Knowledge is the great equalizer." Knowledge comes in many ways but primarily through learning at school and then applying the principles learned. The United States is far behing other industrial countries when it comes to supporting its citizens' education. If ever there was a program that should be subsidized for the present and future it is education. I understand taxes are required for many programs but none are as important as education and knowledge. Education and Knowledge will prevent many of the other social ills that we pay our taxes to now (prisons, unemployment, re-training, welfare, ...). We need to build the foundation for all to learn, all we do now is throw out a handout (door) every now and then and expect everyone to walk in and be saved.
7/18/06
I wrote the post below last year at this time. Guess what was in today's paper (2006 Tuition Rates) and again I say...
And You Wonder Why?
Why is it every year college tuition rates in the state of Michigan get higher? Each year they have a different excuse as to why tuition must rise. This year it's because...
Colleges say there's no choice in face of dwindling state aid
Governor Granholm says "To me, these are unacceptable numbers, I would ask that the boards and university regents to reconsider how much they are raising tuition. I know they will all say it's because of state cuts. I just want to push back and say, 'Figure out a way to streamline, to tighten your belts the way the state has done.' "
qualityg says… it’s like old joke about “why do dogs lick…? Because They Can!
Michigan State is hiking their tuition (remember this is just tuition) 13.5% to $7,944.00. And you know they don’t even give me a discount for having two children that are presently attending the University.
I get a laugh at the two quotes shown above (no not mine). Now you tell me two other industries (government & education) that have no idea on the long-term effects of their actions. They both are constantly in a “reactive” mode, no process checks and accountabilities, just spend (research), spend, lay off folks, spend some more on research, and then provide the public with scare tactics because now our kids can’t compete because we can’t afford to send them to Universities (even in our own state).
I’ve written before about competition and education, this is no game.
Education---> cooperation-vs-competition
I could have put this into my FOOL category, but let me ask the Regents, Governor and our state legislature three questions.
1) What is your Purpose?
I could have put this into my FOOL category, but let me ask the Regents, Governor and our state legislature three questions.
1) What is your Purpose?
2) Am I too stupid to think the Governor didn’t know the colleges would be raising rates today?(I don’t care if you did not know the exact figures)? Why does she “react” after the tuition rates come in the Paper?
3) Does anyone from our state legislature visit any college campuses for an on-site review? Determine how many activities are classroom education (value-added) and how many are non-value (do not support student learning) activities and there costs. Oh yeah, look how many people are in administration offices and how many student teachers are in the classroom as opposed to Instructors.
Please do not give more than a two sentence answer. Anything more and you don't know. You may want to ask the Governor to lend you her Quality Streamline People, that should fix your problem in no time.
Please do not give the standard political answers. If it was handled prior to the announcement it would not look like you are fighting for the students.
Every person in Michigan who cares about education always asks "If all the Lottery Money is going to Education why are we still in so much trouble?"
Here is the statement on top of every Mega Millions Lottery Ticket:
100% of Michigan Lottery Profits Go to our Public Schools.
$645 Million in the last year alone!
Who or what department is responsible for this revenue? How is the money broken down (admin vs supplies vs textbooks, et...) and distributed?
I've got a better chance at winning the lottery than I do getting answers that are not slanted by personal agendas.
And You Wonder Why?
2 comments:
Accountability is a huge issue. Asking questions of administration is essential. And very disconcerting, since the answers are almost always garbage. I've done as much at Cornell. It was very disappointing.
I'd guess that on an objective measure of quality of undergraduate education, we provided no better service than Michigan State. It was certainly no better than my two Canadian alma maters.
But it's $17K on the land grant side, $31K on the private side. Why is a mystery. As is where the money goes. My best guess is that we heat the joint by shoveling $100 bills into a furnace. It's a better theory than what I've heard officially.
The real answer is fat - we had twice the faculty, twice the graduate population and four times the administrative staff as my undergraduate institution, which had the same number of students.
The administration issue is obvious, wasteful and painful - you can't get anything done efficiently at Cornell because of the maze of red tape in the way.
Conversely, my master's school, Simon Fraser University, had 1/9 the administrative support staff and was lean as hell as a result. I had absolutely zero administrative headaches there.
Conversely, Cornell will soon call me for alumni donations. I'll happily remember the time it took me two days and 13 separate visits to various places on campus to register, only to get hit with a $200 late fee because the guy in charge of the last step in the sequence took a holiday on the registration deadline.
They're not receiving one red cent, and if I can keep the cursing to a minimum, I'll tell them why.
Michael,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Sounds like we had similar experiences in grad school. I get called at least 3 times a year for alumni donations, I say send me a request in the mail. Then I rip it up. I got about two thousand more to get even with rippimg me off in bogus tuition increases.
quality gloggers - click on Michael's name to go to his site, great topics and writing style.
qg
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