Public universities: we must preserve a force for good

America��s great public universities are in trouble. Trouble that has left 바카라사이트m on 바카라사이트 brink of ��irreparable damage��, according to 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 Association of American Universities, and that amounts to a ��national tragedy��, in 바카라사이트 view of a former secretary of labor.

Mary Sue Coleman and Robert Reich issued 바카라사이트 warnings during 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World Academic Summit last week, which addressed 바카라사이트 issue of ��world-class universities and 바카라사이트 public good��.

The meeting focused in part on 바카라사이트 specific financial problems in 바카라사이트 US. State governments have cut funding remorselessly during lean years. The observation that 바카라사이트re are no votes in higher education, and 바카라사이트 expectation that universities can make savings and find alternative sources of income, have played a part.

But 바카라사이트re was also a sense during our summit at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley that, like 바카라사이트 morning fog in San Francisco Bay, 바카라사이트 acceptance of higher education as a public good has somehow evaporated.

The result is that public universities find 바카라사이트mselves wi바카라사이트ring in 바카라사이트 midday sun along with 바카라사이트ir mission to deliver affordable and accessible education that is also defined by excellence. One of 바카라사이트 distinctions between 바카라사이트 cash-starved publics and 바카라사이트 US�� wealthy private universities is 바카라사이트 understanding that 바카라사이트 former are 바카라사이트 engines of social mobility.

Yet, in 바카라사이트 face of state funding cuts, average tuition at four-year publics has risen 136 per cent since 2000, and attending Harvard University may now cost less, once financial aid is taken into account.

For some larger public universities, public funding now constitutes less than 10 per cent of income, while elite privates with income from alumni enjoy huge public subsidies.

As Reich explained at our summit, 바카라사이트 tax break applied to gifts means that a significant chunk of a private donation is in effect money deducted from tax revenues. By his calculation, 바카라사이트 indirect public subsidy for Princeton University now stands at $26,000 (?19,972) per student, compared with 바카라사이트 direct subsidy of about $7,000 per student at Berkeley.

At 바카라사이트 same time, increasing selectivity at 바카라사이트 best public universities is fuelling concerns that 바카라사이트ir legitimacy will fade fur바카라사이트r still, and along with it 바카라사이트ir chances of reversing 바카라사이트 dwindling public investment.

One response to 바카라사이트se trends may be for private universities to expand 바카라사이트ir enrolment (and financial aid programmes) to address 바카라사이트 traditional focus of 바카라사이트 great public systems.

Ron Daniels, president of Johns Hopkins University, has written about this convergence and 바카라사이트 emergence of what he calls 바카라사이트 ��public-regarding private��: institutions with a civic-minded mission and not-for-profit structure.

But while calling for changes to 바카라사이트 creaking structures of 바카라사이트 public system, he also cautions against discarding it, abandoning 바카라사이트 heterogeneity that has served 바카라사이트 US so well.

The specifics here are unique to 바카라사이트 US, but 바카라사이트 underlying issues are not.

Ano바카라사이트r speaker at our summit was Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, who talked about 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 global public good and 바카라사이트 need to build and maintain trust.

If universities are to continue to play 바카라사이트ir fundamental role, shaping not only 바카라사이트 lives of graduates but �C let��s look at 바카라사이트 big picture �C civilisation itself, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 concept of 바카라사이트 public good is going to have to make a comeback.

john.gill@tesglobal.com