Yoshie,
The latest here in Virginia is that our governor,
Jim Gilmore, now Republican National Chairman,
is trying to prove his tax cutting macho. He is pushing
a car tax cut in the face of declining revenues. All
state agencies have been ordered to immediately
slash spending by 15%. Higher ed has been hit even
harder, with large specific cuts given to each state
institution. Thus we are now in a mode of pay, hiring,
and travel freezes. Oh joy.
Barkley Rosser
-----Original Message-----
From: Yoshie Furuhashi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Monday, March 05, 2001 11:48 AM
Subject: [PEN-L:8657] Re: farewell to academe
>Michael Yates wrote:
>
>>Meanwhile the colleges and universities become ever more like
>>businesses, becoming, as David Noble correctly points out, primary
>>centers of capital accumulation.
>
>At the Ohio State University, we are fighting against the
>corporatization of higher education.
>
>The OSU is now trying to exempt itself from the Tuition Cap, which
>has merely capped an annual tuition hike at the maximum rate of 6%
>(already way above inflation), & planning to raise tuition by 9% per
>year instead. By our calculation, the result of the Cap removal will
>be as follows (based upon the tuition of $4383 for three quarters a
>year starting with academic year 2000-2001 for a resident):
>
> 6% hike 9% hike
>2001 $4646 $4777
>2002 $4925 $5207
>2003 $5220 $5676
>2004 $5533 $6187
>2005 $5865 $6744
>2006 $6217 $7351
>
>The Student Tuition Alliance (of which I am a member & whose website
>is at <http://www.geocities.com/staosu/>) is now collecting
>signatures on petitions to (a) oppose the Cap removal & (b) hold a
>student referendum on the Cap removal. We'll be organizing
>delegations to testify before the Higher Education Subcommittee also.
>More is in the works.
>
>In addition to removing the Tuition Cap, the OSU is raising admission
>standards, making "selective investments" (= giving more money to
>already successful departments well placed to raise the OSU's
>academic ranking while shortchanging others), gentrifying the campus
>area through an entity called Campus Partners (see, for instance,
><http://www.alivewired.com/1999/19991216/news2.html> though this
>article is too old), and so on. Poor students who can't afford
>higher tuition are asked to attend community colleges instead.
>
>The fundamental problem is a drastic decline of state support for
>higher education. "State support currently accounts for 47% of the
>University's General Funds Budget 3% less than five years ago and 11%
>less than ten years ago. At the same time, it remains our second
>largest funding component (after tuition)" (at
><http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/ppac/ap/original.html>).
>I haven't been able to find stats that go back more than ten years
>yet, but I think the trend of privatization has existed since the
>mid-1970s.
>
>While privatization has been a nationwide trend, Ohio seems to have
>worse records on public support of higher education than other states.
>
>***** Ohio Has Underinvested in Higher Education.
>
>Twenty-eight years ago a study alerted Ohio about an education gap
>and a funding gap regarding higher education. Ohio's public support
>per student left it ranked 48th among the states in 1969.
>
>In FY 1996, Ohio ranked 41st in the nation in public support for
>higher education, and 9th in the nation in student fees. But, our
>costs are average.
>
>Ohio has moved up 7 notches in 28 years. At this rate, we'll reach
>the national average in 64 years -- in the year 2061.
>
>As was the case in 1971, Ohio's students today pay a significantly
>higher share of the total costs of higher education than do the
>residents of most every other state -- because the state's investment
>is so low.
>
>("The Challenge Is Change FY 1998 - FY 1999: Operating Budget
>Recommendations of the Ohio Board of Regents," available at
><http://www.regents.state.oh.us/newsitems/subcom97.pdf>) *****
>
>Yoshie
>
>
