Economic crisis squeezing colleges, universities

[babylonsister]

Economic crisis squeezing colleges, universities

By Tony Pugh | McClatchy Newspapers



WASHINGTON — Shrinking endowments, state funding reductions and families struggling to pay tuition are forcing many colleges and universities to cut staff and spending or to delay construction and development plans.

From well-heeled Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Dartmouth to large public institutions such as the California State University system, many schools are facing difficult financial decisions stemming from the nation's economic standstill.

This week, the California State University system announced plans to trim 10,000 students across its 23 campuses in the next school year because of funding problems caused by a state budget crisis. The CSU system — the nation's largest, with nearly 450,000 students — will make the cuts by moving up application deadlines and raising academic standards for incoming freshmen.

"We have been, for the last two years, over-enrolled by over 10,000 students that the legislature has not funded," CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said. "We can't continue to admit more and more students without receiving adequate funding."

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/56167.html

[2Design]

1. reduced taxes = reduced education, parks, recreation, roads, bridges, etc n/t

[LiberalEsto]

2. And no student loans

I don't know how we're going to pay my daughter's tuition at a community college next semester.

[raccoon]

3. Colleges and universities in SC took a 14.5 budget cut recently.

One university is making its employees take a 5-day unpaid furlough.

[LiberalEsto]

6. I hope the university presidents are taking a cut too

And all the top administrators.
It seems to me that those guys all insist on getting their outrageous salaries no matter how tough things are for everyone else.

[raccoon]

7. Yep. I don't expect my department to be cut because we're cut to the bone already.

50% of the employees where I work are part-time, no benes. This is at a community college.

[OhioChick]

9. Not here...

OSU's president just got a pay increase which puts his salsry over $800K.

[Horse with no Name]

4. And the companion story....

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/111908dntexprezpay.3d5a6df.html
>>>snip
As college tuition has risen and financial aid has lagged, paychecks for higher-education leaders in Texas and the rest of the country have continued to grow, according to a new national survey.

The leaders of nine public universities and systems in Texas earned more than half a million dollars in 2007-08, the most recent year available, according to the survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education, released this week. And most of them received generous raises from the year before – as much as 30 percent.

Heads of private Texas colleges were well compensated, too, with four receiving more than a half-million dollars in 2006-07, also the most recent year available.

In Texas and other states, total compensation – salary plus benefits – has risen along with college costs, a fact that hasn't escaped the attention of some lawmakers, students and others.

[raccoon]

8. Thanks for the link, Horse. See my post #7. The rank and file are barely getting crumbs.

Same as in the private sector. Whaddya know?

[OhioChick]

5. K&R

Many colleges are going to be empty soon.

[Adsos Letter]

10. I am about finished with an MA at a CSU campus...

...our History department's course offerings have been cut back so much that it is difficult for Grad students to find classes to fill their 30 unit requirement, because they have taken most of them already.