Aug
26
Written by:
William Lutz
8/26/2011 1:07 PM
Credit where credit is due. University of Texas administrators created a very frustrating day for higher education reformers yesterday. University of Texas chancellor Francisco Cigarroa
unveiled his plan for “reform” of the UT System and obtained approval from the regents.
Basically, what he’s proposing is baby-steps in the right direction. Several of the changes in his plan are positive, but they are a far cry from what is needed to fix the problems with higher education. Not surprisingly, the various UT administration front groups and supporters in the Legislature issued statements of approval.
That puts supporters of higher education reform in an interesting bind. It’s hard to criticize a pledge to reduce average student debt, for example. The plan in question doesn’t say by how much UT will reduce student debt – or whether there will be appreciable progress toward that end on the Austin campus.
But it is progress. Back in 2003, UT administrators were openly calling on legislators to increase student debt, so the fact that the UT System realizes that rising student debt is a problem is probably some progress. That said, UT is taking a small, very general step forward in an attempt to prevent being pushed forward at a faster pace. So it’s hard to turn cartwheels, either.
Nothing illustrates this phenomenon better than the focus in Cigarroa’s plan on graduation rates, rather than costs.
Of course, the plan provides for the usual cosmetic review of administration (and, probably a few, minor cosmetic reductions for public appearance sake.) UT was making token reductions in administration even when they were jacking tuition through the roof, so the fact that UT is acknowledging further cuts are warranted is fascinating – given UT administrators’ past statements that the organization was lean and tuition increases were the only way to “maintain quality.” It's also interesting that graduation rates are still a problem, because every time tuition went up during the last decade, UT administrators claimed the increased tuition would encourage students to graduate in a more timely manner.
That said, the bulk of the plan proposes to mitigate student debt via a graduation rate increase rather than meaningful reductions in operating cost. Here’s why: getting all students to graduate in four years doesn’t cost the UT administration much – if any – money, since the graduating student will be replaced by an incoming freshman.
That’s why there’s such a focus on graduation rates, rather than – for example – implementing system-wide Sen. Florence Shapiro’s (R-Plano) and Gov. Rick Perry’s plan to freeze tuition for continuing students. (In other words, the tuition and fees paid as a freshman will be the fees paid as a senior, if the student graduates in four years.) The Shapiro-Perry plan does cost universities money, since it prevents tuition increases on continuing students.
It is certainly true that in the 1980s and 1990s, a lot of students unnecessarily graduated on a six-, seven-, eight-, and nine- year timetable. And it is also certainly true that if UT refrains from future massive tuition increases and if a larger proportion of students graduate in four years, average debt will likely decrease, though the magnitude of such decline is quite debatable. (And a lot of higher education reformers are skeptical that graduation rates would increase or that future tuition increases will offset any savings from increasing graduation rates.)
There’s another interesting question that stems from the Cigarroa plan: how will such increases in graduation rates be achieved? When this issue came up before the Legislature in years past, some lawmakers worried that if appropriations became contingent on graduation rates, that universities would lower standards, giving degrees to those who have not earned them. Any employer who has interviewed recent graduations knows that grades tell little about what a student actually knows and can do. Will this lead to further devaluing of a college degree?
There are bottleneck courses in every university that students have trouble getting into. Certainly solving those access problems for graduating seniors, along with improved advising, are appropriate ways to address this question. But it’s also fair to ask to what extent putting more pressure on administrators to raise graduation rates would encourage more grade inflation.
Real higher education reformers can’t really attack the Cigarroa plan, because it is a step forward, albeit a small one. So they took the only prudent step available – praise the fact that any reform at all is occurring but note that it is the first step of many that ought to occur.
Here’s the lesson from yesterday’s events: the UT administration wants to be seen as supporting reform – provided said reform doesn’t reduce its supply of other people’s money, require its faculty to teach more, or place more emphasis on instruction in university evaluation and funding. UT will fight tooth and nail any reform ideas that permanently change the unsustainably cost structure that exists in American higher education.
2 comment(s) so far...
Texas has enough community colleges. UT and A&M need to remain real universities that advance research.
So glad to see that the enemies of higher education have been defeated by real reformers and experts in higher education such as Cigarroa, Zaffirini, and Powers.
By Rob on
8/27/2011 8:53 PM
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I always get a good chuckle when defenders of the UT administration protray its proposals as reform. Only if one defines raising fees and spending money as reform ...
As for the UT administration prevailing over its critics, in the short-term perhaps. In the long-term, no way.
The cost structure of higher education is unsustainable, and it doesn't place sufficient focus on producing graduates prepared for the workplace. About 15 years from now, a majority of the electorate will be knee-deep in student loan debt, wondering what they got for it. The administration's solution -- throw money at the problem -- won't be possible then because Medicaid and Social Security will be broke. Of course, Cigarroa and Powers will be retired by then, so it won't be their problem.
UT has a choice -- do real reform now or be reformed later. Even if the administration can get away with burying its head in the sand for now, the only thing that accomplishes is making the inevitable worse later. Hardly a victory.
By William Lutz on
8/28/2011 1:15 PM
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