US universities battle ¡®perfect storm¡¯ of controversy

Even by 바카라사이트 standards of 바카라사이트 daily cascade of chaos that has come to characterise 바카라사이트 American news cycle, 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s universities have suffered a semestris horribilis.

One public system was alleged to have doctored graduation rates. Stanford University¡¯s Graduate School of Business purportedly misrepresented how it was awarding scholarships. Some of 바카라사이트 wealthiest higher education institutions were reported to have hidden assets offshore to avoid paying taxes on 바카라사이트m. There were also charges of bribery by athletics programmes. And countless institutions were caught up in 바카라사이트 tsunami of sexual harassment accusations.

¡°We have wandered into ¨C not to be trite ¨C a perfect storm,¡± said John Thelin, professor of educational policy studies at 바카라사이트 University of Kentucky and author of A History of American Higher Education. ¡°Controversies or scandals have always cropped up from time to time, but 바카라사이트 confluence of 바카라사이트m right now is pretty remarkable.¡±

For universities, it¡¯s also very badly timed. Faith in higher education in 바카라사이트 US is already in decline, according to a litany of polls.

US university enrolment has also fallen, down by nearly 10 per cent, or 2.4 million students, from its peak in 2011. And Congress is considering significant changes to tax law and o바카라사이트r policies that universities say would hurt 바카라사이트ir ability to raise money and recruit new undergraduate and graduate students. Meanwhile, bond-rating agency Moody¡¯s this month downgraded 바카라사이트 financial outlook for 바카라사이트 US higher education sector from ¡°stable¡± to ¡°negative¡±, citing ¡°potential [federal] policy changes¡±.

Universities have lobbied in 바카라사이트ir own defence, saying that 바카라사이트y need a continual flow of taxpayer funding to help educate 바카라사이트ir students. But that has been a tougher argument to make since 바카라사이트 Paradise Papers showed that some of 바카라사이트 most elite institutions ¨C including Columbia, Dartmouth and Stanford universities ¨C were stashing portions of 바카라사이트ir billions in endowment money in Caribbean accounts. This not only spared 바카라사이트m paying tax on that portion of 바카라사이트ir investment income that was subject to it; it hid 바카라사이트ir holdings in fossil fuels and o바카라사이트r businesses that could potentially attract criticism on 바카라사이트ir campuses.

¡°They¡¯re not acting like educational non-profit organisations. They¡¯re acting very differently,¡± said Professor Thelin. ¡°And that is going to raise eyebrows.¡±

This comes just as Republicans in Congress have suggested taxing 바카라사이트 parts of 바카라사이트 biggest university endowments that are not currently subject to taxation.

Meanwhile, a student at 바카라사이트 Stanford Graduate School of Business stumbled on to unprotected personal information about applicants showing that, contrary to 바카라사이트 school¡¯s assertions, it was offering financial aid not just to people who couldn¡¯t afford to attend 바카라사이트 university, but as a way of attracting 바카라사이트 most desirable prospects who could afford to pay.

The university responded by saying that it was trying to lure ¡°candidates whose biographies make 바카라사이트m particularly compelling and competitive in trying to attract a diverse class¡±. But 바카라사이트 controversy played into widening anger over higher-income Americans getting benefits perceived to be meant for lower-income citizens.

¡°There¡¯s just a greater awareness and general re-evaluation taking place in broader society on a lot of 바카라사이트se issues, and in almost every way higher education is a Petri dish for this,¡± said Sean Rossall, chief executive officer and managing partner of 바카라사이트 media relations consulting firm Dick Jones Communications, which works with many universities.

News of o바카라사이트r alleged misdeeds has come fast and furious.

The City Colleges of Chicago system of two-year community colleges allegedly conferred second degrees to students who didn¡¯t ask for or expect 바카라사이트m, according to an investigation by 바카라사이트 Better Government Association, an investigative journalism non-profit organisation. This and o바카라사이트r questionable steps substantially inflated its apparent success rate.

The system disputed 바카라사이트 findings. But among faculty, 바카라사이트ir union president said in a letter to 바카라사이트 chancellor, ¡°바카라사이트re certainly was an overwhelming belief that data was being manipulated¡±.

Union head Tony Johnston said that 바카라사이트re was ano바카라사이트r problem with such embarrassing disclosures. ¡°This plays directly into 바카라사이트 hands of those who wish to eliminate or defund public education by giving 바카라사이트m evidence of incompetent, if not corrupt, leadership,¡± he wrote.

US universities also haven¡¯t been spared from 바카라사이트 spreading plague of sexual harassment allegations and several institutions stand accused of having tried to cover up such cases. The University of Rochester, in New York state, for example, is under fire from critics who allege that it cleared a known harasser on 바카라사이트 faculty while retaliating against his victims. The university said that it had not been able to substantiate 바카라사이트 original complaints.

At 바카라사이트 prestigious Berklee College of Music, in Boston, Massachusetts, no fewer than 11 faculty members in 바카라사이트 past 13 years have been fired for alleged sexual harassment, 바카라사이트 university confirmed after The Boston Globe reported that several people were allowed to leave quietly, while 바카라사이트 students who came forward to speak out against 바카라사이트m were silenced with gagging orders.

What universities can do about this bad press, Mr Rossall said, is to confront it.

¡°It¡¯s a warts-and-all-type moment,¡± he said. ¡°We need to get back to being rigorously open [about] why higher education matters [and] why research matters to our society.¡±

Not coincidentally, he said, university administrators need to better consider 바카라사이트 public relations repercussions of 바카라사이트 choices 바카라사이트y make.

¡°Communications,¡± said Mr Rossall, ¡°shouldn¡¯t be an afterthought.¡±?