Costs

American colleges and universities spend billions of dollars a year from state, federal, and private sources. The following articles identify ways to cut costs and ensure that public investment in higher education provides value to students, taxpayers, and society.

St. Augustine’s fires admissions director

Mar 12, 1999 ·

St. Augustine’s College of North Carolina made national headlines last week when it announced the firing of admissions director, Keith M. Powell. The announcement prompted the resignation of the entire admissions staff, except for a counselor who was on vacation until Monday, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on March 11. Graham Watt, executive assistant to the president, said that the decline in enrollment at St. Augustine’s did not factor into the decision to fire Powell. Watt told The News and Observer on March 9 that the decision was part of a larger effort to make the college more efficient: “We talked about it as an administrative team…. It brings the whole process together. It just works better when you have people not bumping into each other and working in harmony.”

Sign of the Times, UNC-CH more Y2K ready than most

Feb 26, 1999 ·

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst announced Feb. 18 that it would shift away from using race preferences in its admissions policies. The university will instead consider socioeconomic status and extracurricular activities when deciding whether to admit students and award financial aid.

AND

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is at a comparably high level of preparedness for the computer glitch known as the “Year 2000” (Y2K) problem, the campus’s University Gazette is reporting.

Community Colleges Need More Funds, Consultant Says / College Seniors “Don’t Know Much About History”

Feb 24, 1999 ·

N.C. Community Colleges will need upward of $1.2 billion for capital expansion if they are to meet projected enrollment growth for 2000-2005, according to Kent Caruthers, a consultant with MGT of America, Inc. in Tallahassee, FL.

A recent survey of seniors at America’s top colleges and Universities reveals that more than 80 percent are ignorant of the most basic elements of American history. Among the elite institutions surveyed were Duke University and Davidson College.

N.C. Community Colleges to Examine “Critical Needs” / Federal Regulations Help Push Up College Cost

Feb 21, 1999 ·

Members of the State Board of Community Colleges met today to begin developing a proposal for financing capital needs at the state’s community college campuses. The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) announced last Friday that they would partner with UNC to create a funding package that would address both systems’ capital needs.

An estimated 12.5 cents out of every $1 increase in tuition goes to pay for compliance with federal regulations.