I love to read. But until recently, most of what I read was work related materials; letters, reports; memoranda, research papers, dissertations, etc. and not pleasure reading. I especially like to read murder mystery novels. I like to pick one author and read all of his or her books. I have read all of David Baldacci’s novels. If you haven’t read Baldacci, it’s a must read. His novels are hard to put down. I have also read all of Dan Brown’s and Tony Hillerman’s novels.
Now that I have more time, I am pouring over James Patterson’s novels. I have read all of this Detective Alex Cross books, except his latest book just published Hope to Die. I have read nearly all of his books about Private, novels about a private investigative firm and NYPD Red, novels about an elite New York Police unit. I have also read nearly all of the I, Michael Bennett books. I am now reading through his novels about the Women’s Murder Club, there are thirteen in total and I am on number 9, 9th Judgement. Patterson Women’s Murder Club series starts with 1st to Die and, at last count, Unlucky 13. However, number 14, 14th Deadly Sin, is scheduled to be released in May of this year.
You are probably wondering why I am writing about my interest in reading murder mystery novels. Recently, I decided to acquire a public library card at my local municipal library instead of continuing to pay $7.99 per novel, if you can find them on sale, to as much as $29.99 for hardbacks, which I never buy. It is free and it allows me access to all of the Patterson murder mystery novels and other books that I want to read.
When I entered the main entrance of the library, the first thing I noticed was a security guard right at the door. I thought nothing of it since I presume that libraries, like any other businesses have their share of theft and other problems that would require security. After completing a simple application for a library card and providing proof, a driver’s license, of who I am and that I actually reside in the municipality where the library was located, I was given a library card.
It is my first library card since who knows when, probably my college days in the 1990’s when I studied for my doctorate. I immediately went to the electronic card catalog to search for James Patterson novels. As I walked across the library, I was surprised to see the large number of what seemed to be homeless people in the library. I guess I expected to see your average Americans; students, mothers with their children, and people like me checking out books and using the other free library services. As I think about it now, I should not be surprised about the homeless people in the library as I presume they like to read too.
And having spent almost my entire career in public higher education, I also should not be surprised about the homeless being in the library. I am used to seeing lots of homelessness in universities, especially in urban areas where there are plenty of homeless people and a number of public universities. It is not unusual to see a homeless person in the bathroom of the student union getting cleaned up. It’s not unusual to see homeless people in the university library especially in the winter. Libraries, after all, are nice, warm places where you don’t get asked to leave unless you are causing trouble. It’s not unusual to see the homeless people panhandling on a campus as students tend to be idealistic and generous, and thus tend to give money more readily to a homeless person.
I have always been surprised by college students’ generosity toward the homeless since many college students are typically on a pretty tight budget and can ill afford to give away money to a homeless. But, I assume since college students tend to be young, idealistic, and altruistic, they tend to be generous.
Homelessness is a major problem in our country. What really makes me sad to see is homeless children and their parents. It is too bad I can’t wave a magic wand and solve the problem. Or better yet, why can’t some billionaire, perhaps Bill Gates, give a billion dollars to solve our homeless problem.
So again, I should not be surprised to see homeless people in the public municipal library, but to be honest, I was very surprised. So much so that my initial instinct was to not return to that library. I have to adjust my view of what is the typical clientele of a public municipal library. By the way, I have returned to that public municipal library again, in fact many times. Today, I will actually go to one of the branches of this public municipal library as the Patterson book I am looking for is not at the library I frequent, which by the way, is the main library. Consequently, this time I will not be surprised if I see homeless people at the branch of municipal library.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2015
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Controlling Tuition Costs
A common complaint you hear these days by students and parents is the rising cost of college tuition, in some cases, a dramatic raise in tuitions and other fees. University administrators argue that the increase in tuition and fees is needed to maintain a quality education for their students. In order to maintain a quality education, universities have to attract top notch faculty, which translates into paying these professors high salaries.
Critics of colleges and universities argue that a college education is already overpriced. To add insult to injury, after students and their parents pay exorbitant costs for a college education, graduates can’t find work, as many of the undergraduate majors do not lead to good paying jobs immediately upon graduation.
Students and their parents are now questioning the value of a college education and evidence of this is the leveling of enrollments, or in some cases enrollment decreases, that we have seen recently in higher education institutions. College and university administrators have been heeding this concern and are instituting tuition freezes, tuition leveling and even tuition cutting. Tuition freeze is typically defined as tuition that is kept unchanged for a specified number of years; however, other fees and room and board charges are typically increased each year. Tuition leveling is where tuition is frozen for four or more years for each class, but college increases tuition for each successive incoming class. This is also known as a guaranteed tuition rate or tuition lock. As the name implies, tuition cuts are where the college reduces tuition by a certain percent, 10%, 20%, or more, and is invariably a one-time event. One side effect of tuition cuts is that the college will also cut financial aid at the same time, since financial need will be reduced for all students.
A survey by conducted FastWeb last year indicated that 21 colleges cut tuition by as little as 8% to as much as 50%. Some of these schools were very creative in cutting tuition, for example, cutting in only certain degree programs or only in-state tuition. One of the positive results of cutting tuition is an increase in student enrollments, which can make up for the lost revenue in tuition. One college in the survey cut tuition by 42% and saw an increase of 60% in freshmen students.
In the same survey, 64 colleges were reported to have frozen tuition. Tuition was held constant for a period of four years, but tuition was increased for each new freshman class entering the university in subsequent years. If a student dropped out and returned, they would have to pay the new tuition rate at the time of reentry, typically higher tuition.
Thirty-two colleges reported that they had instituted tuition leveling. This is becoming popular among college students and parents as costs are held constant, which allows them to better plan for the cost of college. Students are now viewing tuition leveling or tuition cutting as a contractual agreement between the college and the student. Tuition freezes are considered more common in community colleges and public four-year colleges and less common in private four-year schools.
However, students much be cautious not to assume that those colleges that have frozen tuition will keep it frozen throughout their entire college education. During times of a recession, as history has demonstrated, college and university administrators raise tuition to make up for the loss of state and/or federal funding. Moreover, the trend during the last several decades has been for states to decrease funding for their colleges and universities. If the trend continues, tuition freezes or cuts may not be possible.
As a former president, I can tell you that freezing or lowering tuition is a very difficult and tricky task. The costs of operating a college or university are typically fixed costs and rarely, if ever, do they decrease. If anything, operating costs like utilities, employee benefits, to name a few, usually raise at rates higher than the cost of living. Employee salaries are another major cost of operating a university and being able to give salary raises when you are freezing or cutting tuition, can be difficult, if not impossible. For most colleges and universities, tuition is the major source of revenue.
I commend the colleges and universities who have frozen or lowered tuition. I hope that other institutions of higher education follow the example set by these colleges. If colleges and universities do not become more cost effective, I fear that future students will begin to vote with their feet. The signs are already there.
Critics of colleges and universities argue that a college education is already overpriced. To add insult to injury, after students and their parents pay exorbitant costs for a college education, graduates can’t find work, as many of the undergraduate majors do not lead to good paying jobs immediately upon graduation.
Students and their parents are now questioning the value of a college education and evidence of this is the leveling of enrollments, or in some cases enrollment decreases, that we have seen recently in higher education institutions. College and university administrators have been heeding this concern and are instituting tuition freezes, tuition leveling and even tuition cutting. Tuition freeze is typically defined as tuition that is kept unchanged for a specified number of years; however, other fees and room and board charges are typically increased each year. Tuition leveling is where tuition is frozen for four or more years for each class, but college increases tuition for each successive incoming class. This is also known as a guaranteed tuition rate or tuition lock. As the name implies, tuition cuts are where the college reduces tuition by a certain percent, 10%, 20%, or more, and is invariably a one-time event. One side effect of tuition cuts is that the college will also cut financial aid at the same time, since financial need will be reduced for all students.
A survey by conducted FastWeb last year indicated that 21 colleges cut tuition by as little as 8% to as much as 50%. Some of these schools were very creative in cutting tuition, for example, cutting in only certain degree programs or only in-state tuition. One of the positive results of cutting tuition is an increase in student enrollments, which can make up for the lost revenue in tuition. One college in the survey cut tuition by 42% and saw an increase of 60% in freshmen students.
In the same survey, 64 colleges were reported to have frozen tuition. Tuition was held constant for a period of four years, but tuition was increased for each new freshman class entering the university in subsequent years. If a student dropped out and returned, they would have to pay the new tuition rate at the time of reentry, typically higher tuition.
Thirty-two colleges reported that they had instituted tuition leveling. This is becoming popular among college students and parents as costs are held constant, which allows them to better plan for the cost of college. Students are now viewing tuition leveling or tuition cutting as a contractual agreement between the college and the student. Tuition freezes are considered more common in community colleges and public four-year colleges and less common in private four-year schools.
However, students much be cautious not to assume that those colleges that have frozen tuition will keep it frozen throughout their entire college education. During times of a recession, as history has demonstrated, college and university administrators raise tuition to make up for the loss of state and/or federal funding. Moreover, the trend during the last several decades has been for states to decrease funding for their colleges and universities. If the trend continues, tuition freezes or cuts may not be possible.
As a former president, I can tell you that freezing or lowering tuition is a very difficult and tricky task. The costs of operating a college or university are typically fixed costs and rarely, if ever, do they decrease. If anything, operating costs like utilities, employee benefits, to name a few, usually raise at rates higher than the cost of living. Employee salaries are another major cost of operating a university and being able to give salary raises when you are freezing or cutting tuition, can be difficult, if not impossible. For most colleges and universities, tuition is the major source of revenue.
I commend the colleges and universities who have frozen or lowered tuition. I hope that other institutions of higher education follow the example set by these colleges. If colleges and universities do not become more cost effective, I fear that future students will begin to vote with their feet. The signs are already there.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
The Cost of College Textbooks
My last blog focused on the millions of college students who have started college classes this fall. One of the daunting tasks facing college students across America is the purchase of college textbooks. For students and parents who, in many cases, pay for the textbooks, the cost is very high, actually outrageous in some cases.
The College Board reported the average cost for books and supplies for the 2013–2014 school year was $1,207 at public colleges and $1,253 at private colleges. But the cost can vary dramatically between the public and private schools. For example, Harvard University lists on their official website the average cost of books as $3,643 per year, three times the national average. I also looked at a typical public university, Humboldt State University, in northern California and their average cost of books is $1,612, or 56% less than the average cost of books at Harvard and 33% higher than the national average. For additional comparison, I examined the cost of attendance at St. Louis Community College and their website lists the cost of books as $1,000.
The Huffington Post reported that the cost of college textbooks has risen 812% since 1978, compared to medical services at 575%, new home prices at 325%, or the Consumer Price Index at 250% over the same period. Like tuition, the cost of college textbooks has outpaced all other consumer goods.
An important variable that impacts the cost of college textbooks is the discipline. College textbooks for mathematics, the hard sciences, medicine, or law will be much more expensive than books in other disciplines. In other words, a college calculus book will cost a lot more than an introduction to psychology book. For example, a new college calculus book by James Stewart, 7th edition, touted as the world’s best-seller, will cost $285.50 on textbooks.com or less for a used version of the book, depending on the condition of the book. An introduction to psychology book will cost $170.75 new on textbook.com and as little as $25 for a used copy.
Part of what drives up the price of college textbooks is the publisher bundling the books with supplemental material such as work books, study guides or CD’s and access to websites. When textbooks are bundled, a student cannot buy just the text book. Another strategy textbook publishers use to jack up the price is to issue newer editions of the book. It is estimated that new editions of textbooks are released on average every 3.9 years.
I have some solutions to the high cost of textbooks. I have always told my students to buy used books as they will be much less expensive. I have also informed student to buy books from students who took the class previously, assuming the professor is using the same book. I have also suggested to buy a book with a classmate and share it. However, sharing can have it drawbacks, like not having access to the book when you need it. Another option to consider would be to buy the books on-line via textbook.com, eBay, or Amazon. They typically are cheaper than college bookstores. Other options include renting a text book or buying an e-book or electronic version of the book, but you will need to have an e-reader or a computer. However, renting a book may not always be cheaper, as you lose money if you don’t take special care of the rental book when you have to return it. And e-books aren’t always that much cheaper than buying a new book.
I suggest, before renting a book, you should consider the cost of a used book and the money you will recoup when you re-sell it to the bookstore, versus the cost of renting the same textbook. My students, and most students in the different universities with which I have been associated, have preferred used books over rentals or e-books. At the bookstore of one university where I worked, 65% of the books stocked and sold were used, and, as a result, the students at that school wanted more used text books.
Another suggestion is to purchase an older edition of a college textbook since they tend to be cheaper, but one has to be careful that the material has not changed significantly. Also, if it is a mathematics book, the end of each chapter can be different. But that can easily be solved by borrowing the new textbook from a classmate and copying the new problem sets.
One final suggestion and a little known fact that most students on college campuses may not be aware of is that most colleges and universities will place a textbook for their courses on reserve in the library. This is great for students who can’t afford to buy textbooks, but there is a downside. Typically, college libraries will not allow students to check out books on reserve or, if they do allow check-out, it will be for a very short period to time, in some cases only a couple of hours.
I talked to my son, who is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, and he does not buy e-books, but rather prefers used books and re-sells them to the bookstore if he decides not the keep the book. An informal survey of his friends confirms that e-books are not a common choice. They too prefer used books.
It is worth the effort to do the research and consider all options available before purchasing a college textbook. It will pay off in the short term and may save you lots of money over the course of four… or five….years of buying textbooks.
The College Board reported the average cost for books and supplies for the 2013–2014 school year was $1,207 at public colleges and $1,253 at private colleges. But the cost can vary dramatically between the public and private schools. For example, Harvard University lists on their official website the average cost of books as $3,643 per year, three times the national average. I also looked at a typical public university, Humboldt State University, in northern California and their average cost of books is $1,612, or 56% less than the average cost of books at Harvard and 33% higher than the national average. For additional comparison, I examined the cost of attendance at St. Louis Community College and their website lists the cost of books as $1,000.
The Huffington Post reported that the cost of college textbooks has risen 812% since 1978, compared to medical services at 575%, new home prices at 325%, or the Consumer Price Index at 250% over the same period. Like tuition, the cost of college textbooks has outpaced all other consumer goods.
An important variable that impacts the cost of college textbooks is the discipline. College textbooks for mathematics, the hard sciences, medicine, or law will be much more expensive than books in other disciplines. In other words, a college calculus book will cost a lot more than an introduction to psychology book. For example, a new college calculus book by James Stewart, 7th edition, touted as the world’s best-seller, will cost $285.50 on textbooks.com or less for a used version of the book, depending on the condition of the book. An introduction to psychology book will cost $170.75 new on textbook.com and as little as $25 for a used copy.
Part of what drives up the price of college textbooks is the publisher bundling the books with supplemental material such as work books, study guides or CD’s and access to websites. When textbooks are bundled, a student cannot buy just the text book. Another strategy textbook publishers use to jack up the price is to issue newer editions of the book. It is estimated that new editions of textbooks are released on average every 3.9 years.
I have some solutions to the high cost of textbooks. I have always told my students to buy used books as they will be much less expensive. I have also informed student to buy books from students who took the class previously, assuming the professor is using the same book. I have also suggested to buy a book with a classmate and share it. However, sharing can have it drawbacks, like not having access to the book when you need it. Another option to consider would be to buy the books on-line via textbook.com, eBay, or Amazon. They typically are cheaper than college bookstores. Other options include renting a text book or buying an e-book or electronic version of the book, but you will need to have an e-reader or a computer. However, renting a book may not always be cheaper, as you lose money if you don’t take special care of the rental book when you have to return it. And e-books aren’t always that much cheaper than buying a new book.
I suggest, before renting a book, you should consider the cost of a used book and the money you will recoup when you re-sell it to the bookstore, versus the cost of renting the same textbook. My students, and most students in the different universities with which I have been associated, have preferred used books over rentals or e-books. At the bookstore of one university where I worked, 65% of the books stocked and sold were used, and, as a result, the students at that school wanted more used text books.
Another suggestion is to purchase an older edition of a college textbook since they tend to be cheaper, but one has to be careful that the material has not changed significantly. Also, if it is a mathematics book, the end of each chapter can be different. But that can easily be solved by borrowing the new textbook from a classmate and copying the new problem sets.
One final suggestion and a little known fact that most students on college campuses may not be aware of is that most colleges and universities will place a textbook for their courses on reserve in the library. This is great for students who can’t afford to buy textbooks, but there is a downside. Typically, college libraries will not allow students to check out books on reserve or, if they do allow check-out, it will be for a very short period to time, in some cases only a couple of hours.
I talked to my son, who is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, and he does not buy e-books, but rather prefers used books and re-sells them to the bookstore if he decides not the keep the book. An informal survey of his friends confirms that e-books are not a common choice. They too prefer used books.
It is worth the effort to do the research and consider all options available before purchasing a college textbook. It will pay off in the short term and may save you lots of money over the course of four… or five….years of buying textbooks.
Monday, July 28, 2014
A Win for Affirmative Action? The Federal Appeals Court Decision in University of Texas at Austin Case
Recently the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit made big news on behalf of affirmative action in college admissions by upholding the University of Texas at Austin’s right to continue to use race in its undergraduate admissions. The Austin based university actually uses the “top-ten percent” plan, when essentially guarantees admission to the Austin campus to any student in Texas who graduated in the top 10 percent of his or her graduating class. The assumption is that since Texas continues to have segregated schools and in some areas of the state minority enrollments are well over 90% in K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. Case in point is the Rio Grande Valley area in south Texas, which is predominantly of Mexican origin.
The decision came on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year, which ruled that public colleges could, in fact, continue to use race in admissions, but only if the race based admission policy meets a narrow tailored goal or need of the university and the state.
A key issue, besides the top 10 percent plan, was the university’s desire to create “critical mass” among minority students through a process called race-conscious holistic review. However, less than 20% of the class for 2008, the year in question in this case, was evaluated and presumably admitted via the race-conscious holistic review process. In 2007, UT-Austin admitted approximately 6,300 freshman and this past fall they admitted 7,300 freshmen. Based on data from the university’s Office of Information Management and Analysis for the fall of 2013, Hispanics make up only 19.1% of overall student enrollment and white students 48.4%.
According to the recent publication by Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, “By 2020, the Texas Hispanic population is expected to outnumber the White population….” thus making Texas a minority-majority or better stated a Hispanic-majority state. According to 2013 U.S. Census data, the state is nearly 40% Hispanic and in some cities in Texas well over 50% to 90% Hispanic. And it will only get better, or worse depending on your perspective, by the year 2040 state demographers predict that the Hispanic population will grow to 18.8 million (53%) and whites will grow to 11.5 million (32%). In 1980, whites made up 66% of the state population and Hispanics 20.4%. Herein lies the crux of the matter, whites don’t want to give up their overwhelming majority share of the resources they currently enjoy.
Based on many years of collecting national data on college-bound students, Hispanic and black students score significantly lower than white students on standardized college admission tests such as the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). In the UT-Austin case for the 2007 entering class, the average SAT score for Hispanics was 1155, for blacks 1073 and 1275 for whites. Nationally, data reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics for 2011-12, the average SAT scores (Critical Reading and Math scores combined) for Hispanics was 913, for blacks 856 and whites 1063. The fact is that standardized college admission tests are not race neutral, but that’s a subject for another time.
Shouldn’t Texas and for that matter the United States of America be educating a larger percentage of our minority students, at the very least, equal to their percentage in the population of Texas or the USA? Our country was founded by immigrants and build off the backs of immigrants. Minorities and immigrants are increasingly becoming the future workforce of Texas and the USA. Should we not provide them with a better education? We know that workers with more education make more money. The future workforce will of course support our retirement plans, pay into the Social Security System, pay taxes and, if highly educated, that translates into more money into the state and federal coffers.
The key compelling issue I feel is sometimes missed in the debate is that race-conscious admissions allow the state to level the playing field. We know from many years of collecting data that Hispanics and blacks perform lower on standardized tests compared to whites. Hispanics and black students in this country do not have the same advantages as white students. So, why should Hispanic and black students with lower test scores not be admitted to universities? Shouldn’t public universities enroll students in proportion to their representation in the state population? After all, UT-Austin is a public institution of higher education and supported by state funds. Hispanics and blacks pay their fair share, just like whites, of taxes to support the university. 19.1% Hispanic student enrollment at UT-Austin is hardly considered a fair, much less reasonable, share relative to the nearly 40% Hispanic population in Texas. This continued to keep Hispanics back in the 1980’s. Can one consider the decision handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeal a win for affirmative action? I don’t think so.
The decision came on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year, which ruled that public colleges could, in fact, continue to use race in admissions, but only if the race based admission policy meets a narrow tailored goal or need of the university and the state.
A key issue, besides the top 10 percent plan, was the university’s desire to create “critical mass” among minority students through a process called race-conscious holistic review. However, less than 20% of the class for 2008, the year in question in this case, was evaluated and presumably admitted via the race-conscious holistic review process. In 2007, UT-Austin admitted approximately 6,300 freshman and this past fall they admitted 7,300 freshmen. Based on data from the university’s Office of Information Management and Analysis for the fall of 2013, Hispanics make up only 19.1% of overall student enrollment and white students 48.4%.
According to the recent publication by Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, “By 2020, the Texas Hispanic population is expected to outnumber the White population….” thus making Texas a minority-majority or better stated a Hispanic-majority state. According to 2013 U.S. Census data, the state is nearly 40% Hispanic and in some cities in Texas well over 50% to 90% Hispanic. And it will only get better, or worse depending on your perspective, by the year 2040 state demographers predict that the Hispanic population will grow to 18.8 million (53%) and whites will grow to 11.5 million (32%). In 1980, whites made up 66% of the state population and Hispanics 20.4%. Herein lies the crux of the matter, whites don’t want to give up their overwhelming majority share of the resources they currently enjoy.
Based on many years of collecting national data on college-bound students, Hispanic and black students score significantly lower than white students on standardized college admission tests such as the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). In the UT-Austin case for the 2007 entering class, the average SAT score for Hispanics was 1155, for blacks 1073 and 1275 for whites. Nationally, data reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics for 2011-12, the average SAT scores (Critical Reading and Math scores combined) for Hispanics was 913, for blacks 856 and whites 1063. The fact is that standardized college admission tests are not race neutral, but that’s a subject for another time.
Shouldn’t Texas and for that matter the United States of America be educating a larger percentage of our minority students, at the very least, equal to their percentage in the population of Texas or the USA? Our country was founded by immigrants and build off the backs of immigrants. Minorities and immigrants are increasingly becoming the future workforce of Texas and the USA. Should we not provide them with a better education? We know that workers with more education make more money. The future workforce will of course support our retirement plans, pay into the Social Security System, pay taxes and, if highly educated, that translates into more money into the state and federal coffers.
The key compelling issue I feel is sometimes missed in the debate is that race-conscious admissions allow the state to level the playing field. We know from many years of collecting data that Hispanics and blacks perform lower on standardized tests compared to whites. Hispanics and black students in this country do not have the same advantages as white students. So, why should Hispanic and black students with lower test scores not be admitted to universities? Shouldn’t public universities enroll students in proportion to their representation in the state population? After all, UT-Austin is a public institution of higher education and supported by state funds. Hispanics and blacks pay their fair share, just like whites, of taxes to support the university. 19.1% Hispanic student enrollment at UT-Austin is hardly considered a fair, much less reasonable, share relative to the nearly 40% Hispanic population in Texas. This continued to keep Hispanics back in the 1980’s. Can one consider the decision handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeal a win for affirmative action? I don’t think so.
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