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"We don’t vote for grownups in Muskogee,
We just want a chump at City Hall,
Then we can manipulate the system,
While junior’s havin’ an awesome time and all."
--M. Haggard
At Washington U., Protesters Turn Their Backs on Phyllis Schlafly
Several hundred people—including some faculty members and graduating students—turned their backs as the conservative activist was awarded an honorary degree.
Embattled West Virginia U. President Says He Won't Speak at Commencement
The president, Michael S. Garrison, says he doesn’t want to be a distraction to students.
Morehouse College Will Graduate Its First White Valedictorian
Joshua Packwood maintained a 4.0 grade-point average at the all-male, historically black college.
New York Court Reduces Damages in Suit Against Union College
A Union College alumna who stepped into an open manhole saw an appeals court slash her $16-million award to $4.1-million.
Foreign Business Schools Retreating From China
Schools cite red tape, lack of interest, and poor language skills.
Cal State Instructor Fired for Refusing to Sign Loyalty Oath | 74
Princeton U. Press Recalls Typo-Filled Book and Says It Will Reprint | 60
U. of Colorado at Boulder Wants to Hire 'Professor of Conservative Thought' | 59
Roman Catholic College Disinvites Pro-Choice Speaker | 47
U. of Florida Plans Layoffs and Enrollment Cuts as State Funds Fall | 46
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November 1, 2007
Congress May Seek to Punish States That Cut Higher-Education Budgets
Washington — When public-college officials are asked to account for tuition increases, they often point the finger at state appropriators. Dwindling state support, they say, forces colleges to raise tuition to fill the gap.
It appears Congress is listening. At a hearing today on college costs, Rep. George Miller, a Democrat of California, said his committee was considering adding language to the Higher Education Act that would penalize states that cut spending on higher education. The bill is expected to be released in the next few days.
“We just came up with $20-billion for higher education,” Mr. Miller said, referring to budget-reconciliation legislation signed into law in September, “and we can see that if we continue this pattern [of state spending cuts] that advantage will be nullified … We keep shoveling coal on top, and they keep taking it off the bottom.”
Asked what he had in mind, Mr. Miller shrugged. “It’s a concept some members have discussed that I believe is worth exploring,” he said in an interview.
If Democrats do incorporate the idea into their bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, they are likely to borrow from legislation introduced in June by Rep. John F. Tierney, a Democrat of Massachusetts. The bill, HR 2690, would direct the secretary of education to withhold administrative funds from states that reduce their higher-education budgets.
But colleges are not likely to be off the hook entirely. Both Mr. Tierney’s bill and reauthorizing legislation already passed by the Senate include provisions that would hold colleges accountable for rising tuitions, and one member of Congress said that lawmakers were growing weary of colleges’ excuses.
“I’m not saying we’re so frustrated that we’re about to implement price controls,” said Rep. Ric Keller, a Republican of Florida. “But I am saying that the skyrocketing cost of tuition is starting to piss people off around here.” —Kelly Field
Posted on Thursday November 1, 2007 | Permalink |
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