Give New Jersey's Public Colleges the Freedom They Need  

Guest Column: A View from the head of the NJ Association of State Colleges & Universities 

 

The Press of Atlantic City, November 30, 2009

 

The long-standing model for public funding of public colleges and universities is severely broken. The model that seemed to work so well in a great many states for decades now needs a thorough re-engineering to achieve the promise of college opportunity. This is especially true in New Jersey, where 80 percent of all college students are in the public sector.

 

The state that leads all others in college preparation cannot afford to continue to lead the nation in net loss of college bound students to other states. Gov-elect Chris Christie seems to understands this; it was part of his final campaign push, and it underpins one of his campaign commitments.

 

It is unproductive to focus too much blame for the breakdown of a rationale for financing public colleges on the current economic downturn. Public disinvestment in public colleges has been an ongoing trend for two decades, principally because of high demand from other priority entitlements, high state debt burden and limits on tax revenue. Even sacrosanct student financial aid programs suffer from rationing -- meaning spreading limited money to more students.

 

Even with the staggering financial challenges facing our new governor, there are things that can be done to help state colleges and universities stay strong during a period of very high demand and very limited state resources. To name a few:

 

The state can free up the colleges from unproductive regulation to innovate and to help improve productivity. A poll we did in October showed that many likely voters, accurately, attributed increased tuition costs to state disinvestment and regulation. Conversely, they place much ore confidence in nonpartisan trustee boards and presidents than in Trenton for effective financial stewardship. State colleges face burdensome regulations and millions of dollars in unfunded state mandates that tie their hands in contracting, purchasing, construction and personnel management. The more we do to free up the colleges to be directly accountable, and without being choked by Trenton's red tape, the greater will be the benefit to students.

 

The colleges and universities can use their freedom to eliminate unproductive programs, recruit the best faculty and staff and raise private monies to support student financial aid and new technology. They can expand partnerships with business, schools, labor and local communities to broaden college access and to keep talented citizens here.

 

The state should fund state-mandated costs such as labor contracts it negotiates, or eliminate such unfunded mandates. The state should follow the state mandate/state pay principles it follows for local government. Where the law requires that free service be extended to certain citizens, the state should simply reimburse the institutions in full for these costs.

 

The state and its universities can create, immediately, a blue-ribbon study panel to examine the infrastructure needs of the state's public colleges. The panel should review different funding models, especially private partnerships, to meet the growing needs for construction.

 

This list is not exhaustive, but it is a start. We need a 21st century model for higher education investment, innovation, service and accountability.