Wednesday, February 16, 2011
States Cutting Spending
According to this article, states are cutting spending due to the recession. We all knew this, but most of the slashing of money is aimed at higher education. Colleges are eliminating majors and entire departments. This has led to change majors and even transferring due to the removal of a subject. At least 43 states in the last 2.5 years have cut budgets for higher education, targeting the least popular majors to do so, in order to limit the damage. This has 'saved' states $3.5 billion since last year, allowing them to use this money for other more 'necessary' needs. I forget if the graph yesterday showed it clearly, but plans for the new budget in 2012 show even more slashing. What if this meant some majors at K would be cut? How would everyone react? Is this plan for raising money for other projects the best way of going about it? I know money is in short supply at the moment, but some students are becoming increasingly angry over the removal of their major.
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I don't think any majors at K would be cut since it is a private institution and because there are very few majors to begin with. I imagine students would be quite upset if this were happening to them. I would like to read more about this. Are schools really "Eliminating entire departments." Seems a bit outrageous to me but I suppose the money needed to pay down the debt to the federal government has to come from somewhere.
ReplyDeleteAs increasingly important as it is to have a college degree these days, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to attain one. I am more concerned over the availability of a college education. What isn't addressed here is that the most significant budget cuts are aimed at state and federal financial aid. This could have a much more serious impact on student welfare.
ReplyDeleteEliminating departments and cutting majors at K would seriously upset me. What is the point of attending the school if they decide to remove the subject that you are passionate about?
ReplyDeleteAlso, it seems counterproductive to me that cuts at the state and federal are targeting higher education. The global job market is becoming increasingly competitive with higher education being a prerequisite in acquiring white collar jobs. While education seems to be a priority of the people and is (practically) a need for a successful career, these cuts seem ludicrous to me.
It seems backwards that there is such an emphasis placed on higher education in this country, yet it is one of the first items to be cut from budgets. We NEED to be able to compete in the global marketplace, and the only way to do that is through higher education. How about making congress choose from the same crappy insurance plans that the rest of us have to, and eliminating the lifetime benefits that they enjoy? I dont have any illusions that this will solve the problem, but it would go a long way in building a more trustworthy relationship with the public. We could always lower or remove some of the corporate tax bennies too.
ReplyDeleteIs it bad that I'm happy that I'm graduating? Private institutions, especially K College have very limited major offering compared to state schools. Kalamazoo needs to meet student demands and fund vital programs for today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of what has been mentioned. I think the cuts in higher education sound counterproductive; I think higher education is vital for Americans to be able to compete in the global market. I know it said that schools are cutting the "least popular" majors and departments, but I am really curious as to what these are. Perhaps they are majors that are becoming less relevant in today's society.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that this plan for raising money for other projects is the best way of going about things. In fact, I think it is a terrible idea. I believe higher education is one of the best, if not the best investment someone could make. Slashing back departments and majors seems absolutely crazy to me. However, I do not think this would happen at K College because of the reasons that Dave has already mentioned. If they did cut back departments and or majors, I think K College students and their parents would be extremely pissed.
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