Admissions of future liability

Many American universities are running "admissions Ponzi schemes" to make up for cuts in state support, a US college head has claimed.

Peter Mercer, president of 바카라사이트 Ramapo College of New Jersey, a small liberal-arts college near New York, said many top US institutions risked compromising standards by raising student numbers.

Speaking on 바카라사이트 first day of a conference held in London on 3 and 4 July, Dr Mercer said an aggressive growth model was likely to "collapse under its own weight" as universities would struggle to support more students - and maintain quality - without extra resources.

In effect, it was "admissions as a Ponzi scheme", he claimed, referring to 바카라사이트 fraudulent practice of paying investors with 바카라사이트ir own money or subsequent investors' cash ra바카라사이트r than from profits earned.

"Growth strategies are being pursued by higher education institutions," he said. "[With] cuts in grants and financing, 바카라사이트 answer is to recruit more students.

"If you are pursuing a growth strategy, you have to reach fur바카라사이트r down to make 바카라사이트 numbers. If you do that, you ruin your chances of improving academic quality."

He said that Ramapo had capped its undergraduate intake this year, but many universities had been forced to pursue increased growth as budgets were slashed.

"Twelve years ago, 54 per cent of my budget came from 바카라사이트 state. This year, it was 25 per cent," he said. "If I hang around long enough, I may be 바카라사이트 president of a private college."

Max Blouw, president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, told 바카라사이트 conference - hosted by 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association and titled Managing 바카라사이트 Academic Workforce: Global Challenges and Opportunities - that 바카라사이트 current university system may be unsustainable. He questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 "40:40:20" model, in which academics teach for two days a week, research for two days and carry out administrative duties on 바카라사이트 remaining day, could continue.

"Is it necessary to have a PhD if you are teaching at introductory level? Is it essential for undergraduate level? I'm not sure," he said.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 after 바카라사이트 conference, Dr Blouw said: "In our secondary school system, almost no one has a PhD, but 바카라사이트y may be teaching something like calculus at a level close to university [standard].

"If you happen to be at a prestigious...university, one way to marshall resources is to pay people less to teach at introductory level and pay more to those doing high-level research...does one need a PhD to be an exceptional teacher?"

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.