Breaking Away: Top Public Universities Push for ‘Autonomy’ From States

[marmar]

By Marian Wang, ProPublica


The chancellor of Oregon’s higher-education system currently oversees all seven of the state’s public colleges and universities. But as of July next year, she’ll be chancellor of four.

The schools aren’t closing. Rather, Oregon’s three largest state schools are in the process of breaking away from the rest of the public system.

The move, long pushed by some university leaders in the system, will give the University of Oregon, Portland State University and Oregon State University more freedom to hire and fire presidents, issue revenue bonds, and raise tuition.

Across the country, a small but growing number of public universities are making similar pushes, looking to cut deals with state lawmakers that scale back direct oversight, often in return for less funding or for meeting certain performance targets. Over the past few years, schools in Texas, Virginia and Florida have all gotten more flexibility to raise tuition. Other plans have recently been broached, though with less success, in Wisconsin, California and Louisiana. ....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/breaking_away_top_public_universities_push_for_autonomy_from_states_2013100?ln

[d_r]

1. may as well

as much as state funding to public universities has been slashed, why not. State lawmakers have been strangling public universities by cutting funding and at the same time putting in tuition caps. It is a short time way for the state lawmakers to look good to constituents - they can keep from raising taxes and at the same time say that they kept the universities from raising tuition. But the long term effect on the public universities is devastating.

[lpbk2713]

2. Just a thought ...

You can't blame Florida schools for wanting to disassociate themselves from the PTB.

[liberal_at_heart]

3. where the hell is the democratic leadership on this? Why is education nowhere on their radar screen?

Where is the funding? Where is the funding for K-12 and for universities? This makes me sick. This is my wedge issue, and this is what made me turn independent. They are just going to sit back and let this happen.