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Marketing, Reputation, and Image Update
Crisis it is not, but good news for all of higher ed: State tax receipts, those quarterly revenue counts that have ebbed more than flowed in recent years, are back on top in many states. The National Conference for State Legislatures reports that strong revenue streams from tax collections, coupled with throttled-back spending, mean that 32 states to finish their 2004 fiscal years with surpluses -- a word we haven't heard of late. Rising costs for Medicaid, pension and education costs, however, dim the optimism. And if you are in California, remember that the state budget deficit remains at $15 billion.
Tuition discounts for illegal aliens sure to become hot topic: As more states grapple with the issue of services to provide to illegal aliens, higher education costs will be considered. What makes more sense: to deny them tuition discounts, or to nurture a class of uneducated? Not an easy choice, and one we will hear more about in upcoming years.
Salaries made public, presidents make little: Recently released compensation for five college and university presidents shows that some salaries are modest by comparison with the private sector. As our key constituents -- read this the media and state legislatures -- bemoan "skyrocketing salaries" of our chief executives, note the pay compared to the private sector. Are we effectively telling this story?
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