Supplementing your art budget — from the teachingpalette.com
Overview:
- While the short-term rating outlook is mixed, the sector’s long-term credit profile is stable.
- Operating results for 2011 will likely be uneven despite the economy’s recovery.
- We expect an equal number of upgrades and downgrades in 2011.
- Key challenges include growing competition, state funding cuts, higher expenses and liabilities and continued tuition and scholarship pressures.
The outlook remains mixed for the not-for-profit U.S. higher education sector in fiscal 2011, according to Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. We believe that operating results and demand will likely be uneven, and institutions with high debt and limited liquidity could experience severe stress. Still, we believe that the long-term credit profile of many rated institutions remains stable, and that many institutions will perform favorably over the next year.
As a whole, Standard & Poor’s does not expect public universities to underperform private universities despite likely cuts in state funding. However, we may see some public colleges and universities consider consolidation or consider mergers with their peers.
We believe that the credit performance of not-for-profit colleges and universities generally remains tied to an institution’s financial resources, demand, and management, rather than industry risk. Therefore, we expect overall credit trends to be mixed for the balance of 2011, with small pockets of distress and larger pockets of strength.
— originally saw this via Academic Impressions e-newsletter
On 02/15/2011,
in accreditation, assessment, budgets, business side of he, change, curriculum, higher education, learning, legislatures / government / legal, policy, staying relevant, teaching & learning, trends,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
As I was reviewing Mel’s presentation, I couldn’t help but think of the amazing amount of pressure colleges and universities will be under towards “standardization” — or at minimum, institutions may need to accept much of what has occurred at another school. The costs are too high not to — and the expectations from parents, students, legislatures, and the general public may force this to occur.
Along these lines, I think that the dynamics of teaching and learning change when we talk about the cost of an education going from a few thousand to 150,000+ for 4 years. Expectations are one thing that change; Mel’s presentation points to this a bit. But I also wondered…how will institutions of higher education differentiate themselves if these pressures for portability continue to build? How will they keep from becoming a commodity?
Also noteworthy was Mel’s slide re: what students can ultimately DO as a result of their educations — this may become more of the Holy Grail of Assessment.
On 02/11/2011,
in budgets, change, changing business models, cost of getting a degree, disruption, future of higher education, game-changing environment, legislatures / government / legal, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, teaching & learning,
by Daniel Christian
Will higher education split? — from Stephen Downes
Excerpt:
Sir John Daniel and Stamenka Uvali-Trumbi asks provocative question: “Will higher education split over the next decade or two into a public sector focussed on research and a for-profit sector doing most of the teaching?” The evidence? The communique from UNESCO predicting “massification” of higher education, Wildavsky’s book on global universities, and Salmi’s commentary on world class universities, Tony Bates’s article on the future of higher education, and Archibald and Feldman’s book on the costs of higher education. He could have added many other sources (and especially digital sources), such as this week’s call for a $10,000 degree from Texas governor Rick Perry, or Paul Kiser wondering whether state-run higher education is doomed.
Also see:
- Dr. Tony Bates’
2011 Outlook for Online Learning and Distance Education (PDF)
On 02/09/2011,
in budgets, career development, faith, political science, psychology, relationships, sociology, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
New website guides you through the homeless experience — from Mashable by Zachary Sniderman
Also see:
.
On 01/20/2011,
in budgets, education technology, leadership, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
What are the costs of not investing in ICTs in education? — from blogs.worldbank.org Michael Trucano, Sr. ICT & Education Specialist
From DSC:
Having studied economics, I appreciate what Michael is saying about the opportunity costs involved here:
What are the costs of not investing in ICT use in education?
Can we afford them?
On 01/15/2011,
in Australia, budgets, economics, education reform, Europe, global / globalization, India, K-12 related, Michigan, online learning, open courseware and systems, relationships, UK, United States,
by Daniel Christian
Half of Detroit’s schools may close — from good.is
Financial mismanagement and declining enrollment are ringing a death knell for Detroit’s schools. According to Detroit Public School Emergency Manager Robert Bobb, to close a $327 million budget deficit, he’ll need to shut half of the city’s campuses over the next two years.
Under the plan, the 142 current schools in the district would be reduced to 72 by the 2012-13 school year. What will happen to the students attending those schools? Bobb plans to shift them over to the remaining campuses, raising class sizes to 62 students per teacher.
From DSC:
Seriously…this is crazy and completely unfair! Those of us who have more resources need to step in and help out. But how can we best do this? How can folks outside of the Detroit area make a solid, helpful impact? Coming from the tech side of the house, I’d like to see us offer FREE materials…online.
That assistance could come from private corporations, individuals, colleges, universities or for-profit organizations such as K12 Inc. Another idea along the lines of individuals, is to allocate $1-$5 billion from the amounts being donated by some of the nation’s wealthiest people. Use those funds to make outstanding educational materials that engage our youth. Then we could offer those incredibly-well done, multimedia-based, interactive, engaging, highly-sophisticated materials FREELY to anyone who wants access to them — whether inside or outside the United States. This would be a massive undertaking from a curricular, instructional design, programming, production, etc. standpoint. But WOW! What a difference it could make to level the playing field!
Perhaps working with vendors, some of the funding could be used for loaning out the devices needed to “play” and interact with the materials, and perhaps some other funding could be allocated to the city of Detroit to provide wireless access throughout the city and surrounding suburbs.
Also see:
The $600 billion challenge– from Fortune
Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett are asking the nation’s billionaires to pledge to give at least half their net worth to charity, in their lifetimes or at death. If their campaign succeeds, it could change the face of philanthropy.
On 01/11/2011,
in budgets, business side of he, cost of getting a degree, funding / grants, future, future of higher education, legislatures / government / legal, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, staying relevant, student-related, United States,
by Daniel Christian
One from DSC:
Abstract:
A perfect storm has been building within higher education. Numerous, powerful forces have been converging that either already are or soon will be impacting the way higher education is offered and experienced. This paper focuses on one of those forces – the increasing price tag of obtaining a degree within higher education. It will seek to show that what goes up…must come down. Some less expensive alternatives are already here today; but the most significant changes and market “corrections” appear to be right around the corner. That is, higher education is a bubble about to burst.
One from CNBC:
— from CNBC on Monday, January 3, 2011
- CNBC’s “Price of Admission: America’s College Debt Crisis”
The Institute’s president Lauren Asher appears in CNBC‘s original documentary “Price of Admission: America’s College Debt Crisis,” weighing in on the rising cost of college and student debt in the United States.
From DSC:
Disclosure: I work for Calvin College. However, I publish the above items in the hopes that those of us at Calvin and within higher education as a whole will choose to innovate — that we will think outside the box in order to greatly lower the cost of providing a degree within higher education. It would be very helpful to future students, families, communities, nations.
No matter how you look at it, pain — but also opportunities — are ahead. Change will not be easy, nor will it be comfortable. It will most likely be very scary and very tough. At least for me, this posting and the topic it discusses evokes major soul and heart searching for me. Nevertheless, the questions remain:
- What changes do we need to make so that institutions of higher education can become more affordable? Stay relevant? Be sustainable over time?
- What should we put in place of the current “status quo”?
- Who receives the pain? Who enjoys the opportunities?
Also see:
- EUROPE: Spending cuts hit university budgets — from UniversityWorldNews.com by Alan Osborn
09 January 2011
Issue: 153
Addendum on 1-19-11:
Addendum on 1/22/10:
The Bubble: Higher Education’s Precarious Hold on Consumer Confidence — from National Association of Scholars
On 01/11/2011,
in budgets, business side of he, higher education, United States,
by Daniel Christian