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Paying for higher education PDF Print
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 13:38

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RADIO SMART TALK for Thursday, December 3:

 

Pennsylvania's four state-related universities -- Penn State, Pitt, Temple, and Lincoln -- are still awaiting almost $700 million in funding from the state.  That money is being held up by the legislature who has yet to put the final touches on the state budget...

The broader conversation is how Pennsylvania state-related and state owned universities are funded to begin with.  Tuitions are higher at Pennsylvania's public colleges than in most states and the universities say that's because the state provides a smaller level of funding.  In fact, the College Board said last month that Pennsylvania's four-year public universities are the fourth most expensive for tuition and fees in the country.

Should the state be providing more funding or do the universities have to find ways to more drastically cut costs?

 

Guests:

 

William N. Ruud, Ph.D.
President
Shippensburg University

 

Donald E. Heller
Director, Center for the Study of Higher Education
Professor of Education and Senior Scientist
The Pennsylvania State University

 

 

LISTEN TO PROGRAM

 

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written by Steve Davis , December 03, 2009, 08:48:31 AM

Yes, the state and nation should be providing more money for low income people to have easy access higher education - as well as pushing these institutions to provide a reasonable fee for services. The expensive American system of higher education enables people with wealth to keep it. Colleges and universities do not work together and are not held accountable. The main goal of these schools is to make money. The government should create a department of higher education to oversee, standardize and force them to be held accountable.
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written by Yvonne Milspaw , December 03, 2009, 01:58:35 PM

Community Colleges are a really smart way to save money on a good education. Honors programs at CCs are aproven ways for hard working, smart students to get a high quality education at a substantially reduced cost. And now that the HACC Honors Program has created working partnerships with Dickinson, Susquehanna U and Bucknell U, a very hardworking student can start at HACC and transfer to one of these very selective colleges, getting a really first rate education at a bargain price.
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written by Tom , December 03, 2009, 03:03:38 PM

Since Dr. Ruud spoke on this program, it should be noted that Shippensburg has a partnership with the HACC Honors Program as well.
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written by ben cunningham , December 04, 2009, 08:06:48 AM

I would like to address the idea of professors being paid too much. First of all consider the reason someone might attend college: to earn more money and hence achieve a better quality standard of living. Why would this mindset not transfer or reward the individual who actually provides this service and makes it a possibility? Most of our student’s entry-level salaries are higher than their adjunct and non-tenured professors. Consider those students studying technology and the curve is even more drastic.

To become a professor, one has had to earn the highest degree available. To earn your terminal degree, one has to invest a lot of money and time. These factors don’t even begin to reflect items not documented on a budget sheet such as the stress on their families. To remain a professor you have to remain engaged in your scholarship, service the university as well as the community. I can’t think of any other professions where you are expected to civically engage in the local community or even contribute just to keep your job. You want to keep professors, allow them to focus on only teaching. (Continued on next posting)

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written by ben cunningham , December 04, 2009, 08:07:41 AM

To tenure or not? It is easier to terminate a faculty member than to fire an hourly wage earner. I don’t know where the myth started, but it needs to end. Yes, there is a union and it function like any union should. If you want to destroy an educational institution, create a rotating faculty position. That is exactly what you will have in Pennsylvania if you remove tenure. It takes 5 years to become tenured. During this time, your peers, Deans, students, and Provost, review you. Tenure is not an easy task. Just ask any of the ten faculty members who started with me and are no longer affiliated with the university. Pennsylvania is in the 65th percentile for pay. The faculty can and will move to another institution. The same occurs with faculty who are tenured and not promoted. Faculty members provide a valuable service and are the reason students come to study. We are the reason a university exists. Education? If you are serious about education, then consider the cost of a rotating faculty pool. (Continued on next post)

I conduct campus open houses and have never had a negative comment regarding tuition. More to the point, the parents want to know how many years their child will need to be a student. If you want to cut the tuition parents/students are paying, don’t allow change of majors or simplify the General Education requirements. While you are at it, perhaps you will want to conduct a study to document the benefits of a liberal arts education without the general courses of studies. You will find it is just another way that universities are proving education they presumably provide is second to the money they make as a business. (continued on next post)

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written by ben cunningham , December 04, 2009, 08:08:20 AM

conduct campus open houses and have never had a negative comment regarding tuition. More to the point, the parents want to know how many years their child will need to be a student. If you want to cut the tuition parents/students are paying, don’t allow change of majors or simplify the General Education requirements. While you are at it, perhaps you will want to conduct a study to document the benefits of a liberal arts education without the general courses of studies. You will find it is just another way that universities are proving education they presumably provide is second to the money they make as a business.

You don’t have to go to college. In fact, raising tuition might further separate those who want an education from those who are postponing becoming an adult with responsibilities.

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written by Brian Palmer , February 09, 2010, 06:44:35 PM

I like how there are so many problems, so many people expressing their opinions, yet no one actually ever does anything.
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