tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10166090.post8189034640364607891..comments2024-02-17T07:59:18.705-08:00Comments on Grad Student Madness: Why are universities strapped for cash?Rufushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17762279210783841414noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10166090.post-51966001573178128692009-12-07T01:17:18.303-08:002009-12-07T01:17:18.303-08:00@Rufus - Amen to that! The SUNY university here is...@Rufus - Amen to that! The SUNY university here is trying to emulate Ivy League football schools. Not only is that not financially sustainable, the schools they're trying to emulate are anywhere from over 150 to 200 years old!<br /><br />And add to the "glibertarians" (great word!) the economic royalists who think that only kids whose fathers own yachts should be educated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10166090.post-9285480754649998862009-11-30T13:25:45.715-08:002009-11-30T13:25:45.715-08:00Yeah, I think part of it, aside from basic human f...Yeah, I think part of it, aside from basic human failings, comes from the idea that universities have to be constantly updating in order to stay competitive (which is weird since what education is- the older generation passing their information on to the younger generation- would seem to go against constantly throwing out the past information). <br /><br />Another problem is the economic model that sees all spending as 'value added'. So, if you add a gourmet frozen yogurt bar to the lunch hall, it's worth the expense because prospective students on the tour might see it and want to enroll. The problems with that idea are:<br />1. Kids want to go to college in record numbers as is,<br />2. Cutting out waste and reducing tuition would also attract students,<br />3. The add-ons often have no educational value whatsoever.<br /><br />And their priorities are out-of-whack- schools will build multimilion dollar sports complexes while cutting library funding. Really, budgets should be decided by asking, "Does this expense have a legitimate educational value?" I think state universities would look a lot different if that happened.Rufushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17762279210783841414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10166090.post-27160167938346975002009-11-30T10:55:22.163-08:002009-11-30T10:55:22.163-08:00They are expensive, however, and if the universiti...<i>They are expensive, however, and if the universities are going to come begging to the state treasurers, they're going to need to show that they can tighten their belts, even if it makes them one iota less competitive against some hypothetical university somewhere.</i><br /><br />Amen! Nothing more frustrating to have the lege talk about budget shortfalls and increased taxes .. and then see all kinds of new construction at UW in Madison.Brian Dunbarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12952894032434503816noreply@blogger.com