[xmca] Privatization of public universities

[Richard Beach <rbeach@umn.edu>]

Here's a useful analysis of the privatization of public universities in
today's New York Times Education magazine:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/education/edlife/01public-t.html?_r=1&scp=
5&sq=Privatization&st=cse

To cope with declining support from state governments, public, land-grant
universities are increasing tuitions and cutting staff/courses.  And, the
more prestigious schools such as Michigan or UCLA who attract out-of-state
students are relying those students out-of-state tuitions, often twice that
of in-state tuitions, to cover costs.

The contradiction here is that while these universities are presumably
committed to serving their own state students, particularly middle to
lower-middle class students, increased tuitions are driving these students
away.  And, reliance on out-of-state applicants often means that they may
admit those students rather than in-state students who require financial
support.  All of this is not good news for low income students, only a
fourth of whom even end up going to college.

Richard Beach
Professor of English Education
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
359 Peik Hall, 159 Pillsbury Dr., S. E.
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
rbeach@umn.edu
612-824-1304
612-625-3893 (voice messages only)
Computers in Reading Research Award, 2009
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Teaching Literature to Adolescents website
<http://www.teachingliterature.org/teachingliterature/>
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<http://teachingmedialiteracy.com>
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<http://digitalwriting.pbworks.com>


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