In a conference call with student journalists on Monday, President Obama renewed his calls for reining in college costs, saying that every institution should provide a chart showing how each tuition dollar is spent. He also questioned the need for expensive amenities. “You’re not going to a university to join a spa,” he told the students. The president said improving the economy—to help shore up state budgets—is crucial to improving affordability, but he argued that colleges need to be mindful of teaching loads as well. Colleges should “give professors the opportunity to engage in work outside the classroom that advances knowledge,” he said, “but at the same time reminding faculties that their primary job is to teach.”
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4 Responses to Obama Questions College Amenities, Urges More Disclosure of How Tuition Is Spent
22228715 - September 28, 2010 at 8:37 am
Hm. Any chance he was talking specifically about colleges when he implied classroom teaching as a sole mission, not higher education in general?
12080243 - September 28, 2010 at 10:28 am
“Every institution should provide a chart showing how each tuition dollar is spent”?Sounds good, but what about the corruption and deception practiced by administrators who misuse tuition and taxpayer resources and hide their activities? President Saunders at the University of Southern Mississippi leased/purchased an airplane (N777AQ) during the recession with taxpayer and tuition dollars but represents that USM is paying travel money to ourselves, that is, to the USM Foundation. But USM, according to its own records (see documents obtained from a Mississippi Open Records request and reported at http://www.usmnews.net), pays for the plane’s lease, maintenance, pilots, fuel, etc, not USM’s Foundation. The truth is, students and taxpayers pay for the airplane. Millions of dollars gone for a grossly inefficient use of resources: $6,187.67 per flight hour, not the inaccurate $800 per flight hour represented by President Saunders and Provost Lyman. An example of a secret use of the plane was a flight from Hattiesburg, MS to Omaha, NE, which cost $72,395.74. The purpose was to watch a baseball game. The passengers included high administration officials and their spouses and state and local politicians and their spouses. It may make for a cogent sound bite to show how each tuition dollar is spent, but such reporting is woefully inadequate. For details, see http://www.usmnews.net.Chauncey M. DePree, Jr., DBAProfessor School of AccountancyCollege of Business University of Southern Mississippi
nydave - September 28, 2010 at 11:47 am
Many of us would be interested in the same cost accounting by our federal government.
duchess_of_malfi - September 28, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Spending on residence halls, food courts, lifestyle facilities, and entertainment (big-time athletics programs) will be reined in when students, parents, and alumni stop voting for those with enrollment and gifts. A college that unilaterally disarmed now would go out of business. He does not seem to be a supporter of research.