Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor
I have to give Governor Bruce Rauner credit for not taking long to show his hand and publicly attack the Higher Education system in Illinois. It has only been a few weeks since he was inaugurated and he recently unveiled his budget. A budget plan that slashes over $200 million just from the University of Illinois alone.
At the very time Gov. Rauner announced he wants to slash the Higher Education budget for all universities in the State of Illinois by almost a third, he claimed that his budget makes education a priority!
“Higher education is set to take a major hit in Illinois.
Following similar announcements by the Republican governors of Wisconsin and Louisiana, newly-sworn in Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner released what he called a “turnaround” budget, that would slash nearly $209 million from the University of Illinois.” Think Progress
“It’s time to make education our top priority again – and that’s what this budget does,” he told lawmakers Tuesday night, touting his plan to give about $25 million more to early childhood education. “With reform, we will be able to invest more in education and give our kids world class schools.” Think Progress
While the proposed budget increases some funding for K-12 education, the University of Illinois system will lose one-third of its state financing under this budget. This very same proposed budget makes absolutely no mention of any increased revenue sources or plans. What will happen to the University system if these cuts are retained in the final budget?
One can expect the cuts to cause increased fees being charged to students as well as the loss of many educational programs. The result of these massive reductions in state financing will be to transfer the costs to students who are already paying high tuition and fee costs. The loan balances of many students already into the 6 figures and Gov. Rauner’s actions will make sure that student debt will continue to climb in Illinois.
So often the claims that all areas of the State have to share in the burden of digging out of a financial hole ends up with some of the most vulnerable bearing the brunt of that burden. If the Governor is convinced that we all have to sacrifice in this job to balance the budget, why wouldn’t new tax sources be considered along with reasonable cuts?
Will these draconian cuts make it more difficult for students from poor and middle class families to obtain a college education? In this very same budget proposal, Gov. Rauner biggest cuts are aimed directly at those who are least able to afford them.
“Yet the state would spend $400 million less on higher education, $600 million less on local governments, and $1.5 billion less on Medicaid, which handles health care costs for poor residents. University leaders and mayors said they were worried, and advocates for the poor said they feared medical needs would go unmet under deep cuts to Medicaid.” New York Times
When the cities, counties and municipalities raise their taxes to pay for basic services for their residents, who has to pay for those increases? “In many cases, Rauner’s state budget cuts could simply end up shifting costs: local governments could choose to raise property taxes, state universities could raise tuition and the CTA could increase fares.” Chicago Tribune
For a man who spent at least $37 million of his own money to get elected governor, he sure has no problem making the middle class and poor pay more for a college education and for health care and local taxes and transportation costs.
Rauner seems to be following the economic model that worked so “well” for Gov. Brownback in Kansas and Gov. Walker in Wisconsin.
Just how has that austerity approach worked out for Kansas and Wisconsin?
Additional Sources: Examiner.com; Crains Chicago Business
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Here is an interesting article on how colleges are categorized and ranked, including faculty research and alumni giving:
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2014/09/08/how-us-news-calculated-the-2015-best-colleges-rankings
“No they definitely don’t admit all instate students. They look at grades/rank, ACT scores, personal statements, extracurriculars, etc etc. It’s just a really good school so they’re only going to accept the best they can get to keep it that way.”
This is from my daughter, the attorney who is a UW alumni. I asked her what she thought about Paul’s assertion.
I, too, went to an excellent, top-rated school. I clearly recall my freshman year, sitting in the enormous calculus auditorium, slowly realizing that I could not understand a single word of the Professor’s thick accent, or barely read a word of his horrible penmanship on the white board. He kept his back to the class the entire time and just droned on in an impenetrable monotone.
He was a brilliant man, and was valued because he published, not because he could teach. That is very typical of universities.
The undergrad classes were huge, in auditoriums. There was a huge line for office hours, so if you had a question you just hoped you had a good TA, who was a graduate student and hadn’t published anything.
So, no, top rated universities are not necessarily the best at actually teaching. It’s often up to the students to grow up and teach themselves the material. I remember in that calculus class, finding my spine with both hands and just spending the entire lecture reading the book, teaching myself. Plus I fetched my high school calculus notes from my parents’ house.
Sometimes I was lucky and had excellent professors, and riveting lectures; other times, you just bit the bullet, read the book, and tried to keep from sinking into a catatonic state during lecture. I remember one time the entire class was poisoned in chemistry lab because the TA didn’t speak more than a few words of English, and had forgotten the word for “Fume Hood.” He was muttering to himself in lab, while we got started. When we all realized we were dry heaving out in the hallway, he snapped his fingers and yelled, “Fume Hood!”
So, yeah, absolutely, I could understand why someone would leave a top rated university because they were dissatisfied with the quality of the teaching.
Paul
Just what is it that you consider ‘crap’?
You are very mistaken in your assertion that land grant colleges are required to take all graduates from their state. It is a mistake that is pretty outrageous coming from someone whose career was spent as an educator.
Now your next test is to see if you are capable of admitting your mistake.
Wadewilliams – I will walk that back. Some states require it as part of their state constitution, Wisconsin is not one of them. However, according the the Wisconsin constitution there are no requirement for entrance to the college.
DBQ – should we tell Wadewilliams that those of us who live out in the middle of nowhere can thank HotShots fire crews for battling the incessant wildfires that plague CA each and every year? Or that we still have police; they just take a while to get there?
So I disagree with him that our opinion on police and fire don’t count.
Yes Wade, if he told that to Wisconsin high school seniors wanting to get into UW Madison, he’d be in big trouble.
Paul
Reconsider your information about land grant colleges. Course work, grades, ACT and SAT scores, essays, personal achievement – all are considered before acceptance. To put it charitably, your information is very misleading and no high school student should depend on it.
Wadewilliams – any of that crap in the Morell Act?
Annie, I’m sure it wasn’t law.
University of New Hampshire #99. UW Madison #47.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-new-hampshire-2589
Barry
I forecast an amazing career for you with the Republican Party. I predict one day you will be governor of your state.
BTW – where do you live. No offense, but I’d like to advise my family members to refrain from moving there.
Wade, UW Madison doesn’t admit mediocre students.
Inga – is UW (Madison) a land grant college? If it is, it is required to accept the high school graduates of the state, regardless of their grades.
https://www.admissions.wisc.edu/freshman/requirements.php
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-wisconsin-madison-240444/overall-rankings
It makes one sound more credible when one can back up their assertions.
College rankings are always suspect. I know that schools and parents put a lot of store in them, but they have odd criteria and it really is impossible to really put together criteria to compare schools, even departments in schools.
Some pointers:
Decertify the striking greedy teachers union and make unions for government workers illegal. Fire strikers and hire replacements.
Fire 80% of teachers, eliminate bricks and mortar schools, fully automate curricula (1 CD nationally per subject) and make the home pc the classroom. Privatize (lowest bidder) personnel and facilities for any demonstrably imperative “hands on” interaction. Students pay for remedial services.
Reduce current pay to only the level necessary to retain a workforce. . Educational requirements would be HS Diploma with Teaching Certificate, waived for “strike replacements.”
Advise your son to be a PI. No degree from anywhere necessary.
Forbes has UW 70th. “WE’RE #70, WE’RE #70!” Yah hey, yer darn tootin. Pass me that block of cheddar and lets drink us some Schlitz, yer darn tootin.
Do you know why we need a strong university system? So people will understand the difference between
Reign and Rein.
Make this thread useful. Look up ‘rein’.
Wadewilliams – the difference between reign and rein is usually taught in sophomore year of high school.
“We’re #89 We’re #89!” For all the damn taxes we people who work for a living and pay property taxes up the ass, being 89th is a disgrace! And, the law school doesn’t make the top 4 IN THE BIG TEN! Iowa, a bunch of pig farmers, has a higher ranked law school. Wisconsin is a third rate college but the Cheeseheads think it’s just great. Just keep them in beer and brandy and they’re happy.
Sorry, DBQ. I should have been more precise…no elected official (or as Mr. Congeniality refers to those who are Democrats – slimy greedy pols) wants to cut public pensions for fire or police.
Also, we all know you live out in the middle of nowhere where no police or fire protection can be found – so your opinion doesn’t have much leverage.
http://www.news.wisc.edu/rankings
UW Madison rankings.
Sandi, UW Madison is an excellent school, it’s ranked high nationally. Many student’s grades are not good enough to get in or stay in. It’s Law School is also ranked high. I’m not sure what your niece’s issue was, but it wasn’t the fault of the UW system.
I learned the difference between reign and rein in high school. That’s the problem. Too many high schools with lower expectations.