In The Chronicle of Higher Education, Kevin Carey explains that the college-cost crisis is fundamentally not about a lack of money—it’s about a lack of information.
Monthly Archive for February, 2008
In The Chronicle of Higher Education, Kevin Carey explains that the college-cost crisis is fundamentally not about a lack of money—it’s about a lack of information.
Fisk University, like many other Historically Black Colleges and Universities, has had significant financial problems for nearly a half century. There are many factors (and at least a few individuals) to blame. If you are interested in learning more about Fisk and its economic history, a simple search will yield a wealth of well-researched articles. There is no need to repeat their conclusions here.
Instead, we will spend a few moments considering Fisk’s plan to sell donated art, an upcoming court case related to that plan, and the possible repercussions.
Fisk’s current financial crisis is real…there is no argument about that. Now millions of dollars in debt, the University is having to struggle to try to provide a high quality education to its students. And, because of those struggles, Fisk is in imminent danger of being stripped of its accreditation. Without accreditation, Fisk is almost certainly finished. In fact, barring a quick change of economic fortune, Fisk’s future is at great risk even if it manages to retain its accreditation.
As you would expect, Fisk’s administrators and trustees are determined to save it. I hope they can. Everyone will be better off if Fisk and institutions like it continue to educate our citizens.
However, if the courts allow Fisk to finance its survival by selling art donated to it for exhibition, it will set a precedent that may greatly limit the ability of colleges, universities and other institutions to generate gifts and gift income. Donors give colleges all kinds of gifts; money, securities, land, yachts, computer equipment, laboratory equipment, solar powered cars, and art, to name a few. The ideal gift, from the viewpoint of a college or university, is a so-called unrestrictive gift…a gift the institution can use as it wishes.
But, many gifts are restricted. Money may be donated to help construct or restore a particular building, create a specific program of study, endow a scholarship for students majoring in chemistry, or enhance a university’s athletic program. The art that Fisk now wishes to sell was donated so that Fisk could exhibit it…so it could be enjoyed by students, faculty, and visitors. So it could enhance Fisk’s prestige.
It was not donated to be sold to pay down Fisk’s debt or finance its operating expenses.
Thus, if the courts allow Fisk to sell the art in question despite its now deceased donor’s intention, it would suggest that donor agreements can be breached if the receiving institution decides its perceived needs mean more than its promise to a donor. And that could trigger a major decline in giving to colleges, universities, museums, and other institutions that, just like Fisk, deserve and require donor support.
This Thursday, a jury ruled in favor of course management company Blackboard in a copyright suit against Desire2Learn. The Wired Campus reports:
“Desire2Learn, which has its headquarters in Kitchener, Ontario, argued that Blackboard's patent was invalid and should never have been granted in the first place. Lawyers for the company said that Blackboard officials were aware of similar technology, or what's known as “prior art,” that existed before it filed its patent application, and that the company had failed to divulge that information to the patent office.”
Over the past couple years, many startups have created cheaper or no-cost course management alternatives. Now, some of these companies are concerned about facing similar charges from Blackboard.
See full article.
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First Indiana University had Bob Knight. He verbally abused and intimidated players, threw chairs, and bullied students and staff members. But, while he was winning, his actions were tolerated, even encouraged. Not much was said about what kind of role model the aforementioned behaviors made him. Winning was enough. Win basketball games at IU and you can pretty much do as you choose…that seemed to be the message. Still, Knight finally did wear out his welcome, perhaps because his increasingly hard to ignore abuses coincided with the diminished success of his teams. So, he was banished to Texas, where he quit in the midst of the season to pass the baton to his son, Pat. Against whom did Pat Knight compete for the job? Nobody, actually, but we’re not talking about why Texas Tech should be embarassed today. Maybe we’ll get back to that on another day.
Mike Davis, a Knight assistant who apparently did not have King Bob’s blessing, was handed the reins at Indiana. Davis recruited pretty well…maybe very well. There was debate about his overall ability as a coach, he won fewer games than the fans thought he should, and he left, under fire, for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, an institution with lower basketball expectations.
Along comes Kelvin Sampson, fresh from Oklahoma, where he won more than his share of games against tough opponents. Not much doubt about his coaching ability. There was, however, one problem. Sampson had committed numerous NCAA rules violations.
Whatever Knight’s sins…whatever Davis’ coaching shortcomings…most knowledgeable observers believe they ran clean programs. And, preserving the “cleanliness” of the program, we are told, is a high priority at Indiana. Many defenders of IU point to the fact that part of Sampson’s compensation was contingent upon keeping his nose clean. That, they say, is proof that the integrity of the basketball program is priority #1. But, is that proof of the University’s commitment to integrity or evidence that the responsible administrators knew they were taking a chance hiring Sampson? That they were willing to gamble to get a high profile coach…a proven winner?
Surely the University President and Athletic Director knew that Ohio State University had to pay their basketball coach a huge sum despite proof that he violated NCAA rules by providing an illegal benefit…money…to a player. Why did the coach in question win a suit requiring Ohio University to fully pay him for the full term of his contract after discharging him for what was…well…blatant cheating? Because, the presiding judge ruled, the coach’s contract protected him, even in light of his undeniably offense.
Why then, didn’t Indiana University structure Sampson’s contract so that he could be immediately dismissed, without further compensation, for violating serious NCAA regulations? The only logical answer is that they wanted Sampson so badly that they did not insist on such a clause. Integrity…that would be nice…but winning is what’s really important, right? So, what happened?
Sampson violated the same rules he ignored while at Oklahoma. He then, according to the NCAA, misled them and the University. Despite his repeated rules violations and dishonesty, Indiana University is paying him $750,000 in exchange for his promise not to sue them for wrongful termination. It’s a good bet that’s clearly stated in a legally binding document. Anybody know how many professors you can hire, how many computers you can buy or how many volumes you can add to the IU library for $750, 000? The fact that $500,000 of the $750,000 was donated is not relevant…it could have been better spent. Hell, I challenge you to find a worse way to spend it. HDTV’s in student housing would have been better use of the money.
The Indiana University Athletic Director should be fired immediately. Even if they have to buy him out too.
It is not Monday morning quarterbacking to hold somebody accountable for a predictable series of events from which he did not protect the University. Perhaps the University President should contribute some portion of his salary to Sampson’s buy out for allowing the hire without an ironclad “you cheat, you’re gone” provision.
It has been reported that some members of the basketball team threatened to discontinue playing after Sampson’s forced departure. Can anyone remember such threats from athletes whose coaches were fired for losing? Did John Brady’s players make such threats when LSU fired him recently (not even allowing him to finish the season) because he wasn’t winning? Only Bruce Pearl, the University of Tennessee coach, raised his voice in defense of Brady. Good values, folks, mean more than Nikes or Reeboks on sale.
There are lots of dedicated educators out there, including coaches, who work hard, play by the rules, have real values, and try to pass those values on to students. There are schools, colleges and universities in which education and integrity mean more than post season tournament appearances. Indiana University, you’re embarassing us.
Many online schools have banned Wikipedia as a research source. This user-based online encyclopedia can be a great way to get basic information on a topic; however, it is prone to factual errors. CollegeDegree.com recently published a list of 25 Wikipedia alternatives online. Here's a blurb from their article:
“Although Wikipedia is a great place to find information, it's subject to incomplete citations, biased views, and inaccuracies. And when you absolutely have to have undisputable facts, that's just not good enough. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives out there that can deliver with high quality accuracy, and we've listed 25 of the best here.”
Check out the full article for links to some of the best legitimate research sources online - your professors will thank you.
See full article.
Related Entries:
Wikipedia Co-Founder Launches Rival Online Encyclopedia - 19 December 2005
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Online Learning for Students with Disabilities - 13 August 2007
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Andrew J. Rotherham and Jane Hannaway examine teacher performance incentives and the response of teachers unions in a paper presented at a recent conference sponsored by the National Center on Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt University.
A growing number of nurses take some of their required health care courses online. Many online nursing courses still resemble the traditional, lecture-based classroom format. However, a new Nursing Education Perspectives report suggests that online nursing instructors explore alternative methods of educating their students:
“As the characteristics of nursing students change that is, students are older and have more life experience - the need to emphasize adult learning principles becomes more important. And with the explosion of knowledge demanding effective, lifelong learning skills, there is a growing need to search for new and creative approaches to education. One approach, though not new, is problem-based learning (PBL). Used initially in medical education, PBL not only supports the principles of adult and student-centered learning, it also matches the characteristics of successful distance learning. Intended to develop effective critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills, PBL fosters independent, self-directed learning skills and builds an internal motivation to learn and question.”
Many online schools incorporate some form of experiential learning into their courses. Project based learning seems to be a move in the right direction for online nursing programs.
See full article.
Related Entries:
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Online Nursing Degrees - 15 October 2007
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Is Online Education the Solution to the Nursing Shortage? - 22 January 2008
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Simmons College will soon add new blended learning classes to their programs, thanks to a substantial grant. The Boston Globe reports:
“There is a growing academic question in the electronic age: How can one maintain the “college experience” in this time of online courses? Notably, how do small colleges, often known for their close teacher-student interaction, maintain that bond in the age of virtual classrooms?
more stories like thisIt's a question that Simmons College is trying to answer, with the help of a $225,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The goal, called blended learning, is to use technology to enhance the classroom experience and student-teacher interaction rather than replace it.”
The grant money will be used to add online classes to Simmons' doctoral nursing program. It will also create distance learning courses to help students from multiple campuses learn from the the same library and information science instructors.
See full article.
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Blended Learning Declines, Online Learning Grows - 22 March 2007
Making Hybrid Learning Purposeful - 21 May 2007
What is Blended Learning? - 28 September 2007
UMassOnline Launches 10 Blended Learning Programs - 25 November 2007
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The most recent Sunday edition of The New York Times carried an interesting article written by Gretchen Morgenson entitled “The Insiders Are Selling, But Why”, about the fact that 13 Apollo Group insiders have recently sold 1.6 million shares of stock. In addition, the Apollo Group, which owns the University of Phoenix, did no share repurchasing during the most recent quarter, in contrast with extensive repurchasing in the past. Apollo stock, Morgenson tells us, is down 14% from it’s peak, while Career Education Corporation and the Corinthian Colleges…two other major players in for-profit education, have seen their stock prices fall by 31% and 50% respectively.
It has since been announced that the Career Education Corporation will close several of its schools and colleges after allowing currently enrolled students to complete the programs in which they are now enrolled. McIntosh College in Dover, New Hapshire, founded in 1896, is among the institutions scheduled to close. Lehigh Valley College, and Gibbs schools and colleges in New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are also scheduled to cease operating.
For many reasons, including significant enrollment growth, Apollo seems to be in better shape than most of its competitors. But, with recent changes and heightened government and consumer interest in the student lending industry, the nation’s current economic woes, the financial pressures being felt by lenders, and the number of high risk loans awarded to students at proprietary institutions, life in the for-profit education world may become more difficult for the schools, for investors, and for students.
Typically, for-profit schools offer limited scholarships. And, such schools attract a fair number of low income students who require financial aid to continue their education. Thus, if loans become more difficult or costly to obtain, it may well be proprietary schools and the students they serve who will be impacted most dramatically.
Nobody is predicting the demise of for-profit education. In fact, recent events may make some stocks in the sector a good value. But, when the insiders of the most successful corporation in the sector sell off massive holdings for relatively small profit and a major player closes long established schools after failing to find buyers for them, many questions arise.
Among those questions; is a major shakeup coming in the for-profit education sector? Will we see more closings (and perhaps displaced students)? Will there be mergers or will the larger chains acquire smaller chains and/or independents? Will the small independent hair dressing schools, massage schools, and business training schools be able to survive? Will more students turn to community colleges? If so, will 25% go on to four-year colleges as they do now?
Will students, who now find online degree programs increasingly attractive, turn to online colleges in even greater numbers?
It will be very interesting and very telling to watch the trends in the fairly immediate future (perhaps 12 months) and in the next few years.
