The Chronicle of Higher Education
November 19th, 2014
Fill in the blank: Faculty members and the leadership of _____ state-college system are at odds over a proposal that aims to streamline how the institutions work, to save money, and to improve student performance through technology and administrative cooperation.
That story is playing out in several states in the Northeast and Midwest, where falling enrollments and shrinking state dollars are putting an especially tight squeeze on regional colleges. In contrast to public flagships, the regional institutions have two strikes against them: They largely serve a place-bound student body, and they lack the prestige to build big endowments or research portfolios.
The most recent example was in Connecticut, where faculty members at both two- and four-year institutions in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system have revolted against a plan that calls for enhancing online learning, aligning courses with the state’s work-force needs, and sharing some administrative functions.