Weekly Opinion Editorial
HIGHER ED
NEEDS TO LEAD CHANGE!
by Steve Fair
The Higher Education lobby in Oklahoma says Sooner tax
payers are not funding higher education like the rest of the country. University
of Oklahoma President David Boren and University of Central
Oklahoma President Don Betz both were quoted as saying that Oklahoma ranked ‘dead last’ in the U.S. in funding
higher education. Turns out that ain’t
so.
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
President Jonathan Small said, “These claims are not supported by the
facts.” Small cited a study by Illinois State
University on Higher Ed funding which
shows Oklahoma
ranks #31 among the 50 states. The
funding report, which has been published since 1960, is non-partisan. Small asked Boren and Betz to retract their
statements.
Oklahoma Higher Education has taken $112.2
million in cuts this year and next years budget has over $35 million more in
cuts. "These severe budget cuts have resulted in forced furloughs and
the reduction of academic programs, personnel, student services and college
degree completion initiatives," Oklahoma state Higher Education
Chancellor Glen Johnson said. Still Oklahoma Higher Ed will get $866 million in
taxpayer money next year or about 12.5% of the total budget. To compensate for the loss in appropriated
monies, the State Board of Regents will consider increasing tuition and fees
by an average of 5%. The regents
estimated the increase will cost full-time college students in Oklahoma about $400 more
per year.
According to the U.S. Department of
Education, Oklahoma
has the ninth worst college six year graduation rates in the country. Nationally 44% of students who start college
end up with a sheepskin. In Oklahoma, that number is
less than 30%. Among the 4 year regional
universities, Cameron
University has the lowest
graduation rate- around 20%.
First, Oklahoma Higher Education should be
audited. If it’s true they are
underfunded, then the audit will show that.
If there is waste, it will show that.
Let the chips fall where they may.
Second, Higher Education should proactively
initiate consolidation. Oklahoma has eleven
regional universities, twelve community colleges, plus OU and OSU. Many of those institutions have satellite
campuses. That is a lot of brick and
mortar. Each one has a ton of faculty
and staff making good salaries with benefits.
With the growth of ‘distance’ learning, is it prudent for Oklahoma taxpayers to
fund all this infrastructure?
Third, when will education (common ed or
higher ed) come to the table with a plan that doesn’t include more money? It’s past time for education leaders in Oklahoma to come up with
a 10 year plan for improving education in the Sooner state that doesn’t include
building more buildings and giving themselves raises.
President Ronald Reagan said, “If you serve a child a rotten hamburger in America,
federal, state, and local agencies will investigate you, summon you, close you
down, whatever. But if you provide a
child with a rotten education, nothing happens, except that you’re liable to be
given more money to do it with. Well,
we’ve discovered that money alone isn’t the answer.”
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