Groups Positioning For Prolonged Higher Ed Debate
For years, Gov. Rick Perry’s efforts to boost efficiency and productivity at public universities — largely by pressuring university system officials to implement a set of specific changes proposed by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative research group — were mostly conducted out of the public eye.
Now, following months of controversy, with multiple third-party organizations across the state cropping up to focus on the issue, along with a new Legislature-created oversight committee, the various constituents are preparing for a protracted public discussion about how to best address problems such as rising tuition and ballooning student debt.
“I think the ...
Comments (5)
Thomas Darby
Like many other things including governments, higher education has over grown it's mission. In the 21st century college and graduate school graduates will not only be competing with US graduates, but with the world graduates. The earth is becoming flat. Graduates leave college and cannot write a CV. They do not know the procedure for finding a job. Their transcript does not show they are prepared to enter the job market. Higher Education is not preparing students so they can contribute to society. It past time state government examined higher education. To keep the American Dream alive the young must have opportunity to contribute to society and they must be rewarded for their contributions.
Lou Anderson
Glad this debate is underway. College costs continue to rise yet the usefulness of the education received can be argued as declining and cost ineffective. And as higher ed officials resist efforts to increase accountability for their institutions' performance, this only highlights the need to delve deeper into these operations to ascertain whose interests they are truly serving.
Katie Bobatee
UT and A&M are boring. Go Texas Tech!
Scott Specht
I'm kind of amazed at how brazenly University officials ignore the opinions of people who are giving them money. How dare students expect to get an education without racking up thousands of dollars in student loans? How dare elected officials (who appropriate tax dollars to the University) put forward reforms of any kind?
The idea that wanting to change or reform UT means you hate the university is preposterous. If you really love and care about something, you want it to be as strong as it can be, and that's what these groups are doing. Shame on Bill Powers and his SG lackey (who completely turned her back on her constituents) for trying to act like no reform is needed.
Jennifer E.
The problem is that the state doesn't fund our universities adequately.\
The other problem is that UT and Texas State are very, very different institutions. I'm sorry that Chris feels tuition is too high at Texas State, but that has nothing to do with UT. If he wanted lower tuition, he should have gone to a community college for 2 years. That's one of Richard Vedder's suggestions for Texas students by the way.
Other students are willing to pay more money for a UT degree. That's their choice. I think they're entitled to school choice.