Category Archives: Higher Education

State must not give up its role in affordable education”

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Published in The News Tribune, May 26, 2011

For the next few years at least, the Legislature’s power to set tuition at the state’s higher education institutions has come to an end.  By ceding this authority, the Legislature recognized that it couldn’t drastically cut higher education’s support on the one hand, while also prohibiting institutions from turning to students for the difference.

Now that this is resolved, lawmakers should turn to policies re-establishing an affordable system of higher education in Washington State.  Continue reading →

College cartel exploits football players’ talent

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Published in The News Tribune January 7, 2011

Husky fans finally have something to cheer about. The Dawgs not only won a spot in a bowl game, they even won the game!  Indeed, college football’s “post season” treated Pac-10 teams well financially; together they split over $38 million in bowl revenue.    All told, 35 bowl games played over three jam-packed weeks allowed athletic programs around the country to rake in over $250 million. 

With this as backdrop, let’s turn now to a scandal that has rocked the college football scene this year. Continue reading →

Paying twice for education: We’re spending a lot of money to help college students catch

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Published in The News Tribune October 10, 2010

Imagine, if you can, using taxpayer money to build an expensive stadium, then before it is paid off you implode it so that you can build an even more luxurious stadium, again with taxpayer money.

OK, too much of a stretch?  How about this:  We spend millions of taxpayer dollars to build a highway that doesn’t quite meet in the middle.

Sometimes in the public sector is seems like the adage “Measure twice, cut once” should be “Pay twice, get once.” Continue reading →

“The erosion of higher ed: Dollars are slipping away from teaching to sports

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Published in The News Tribune, July 25, 2010

It might seem odd that the president of a world-class institution of higher education would leave his position to head up a large entertainment conglomeration.  And Mark Emmert’s decision to leave UW for the NCAA was just that.   

Yet is it so odd?  After all, the NCAA is an association of about 1,200 colleges across the nation, with a commitment “to the highest levels of integrity and sportsmanship… and excellence in the classroom”.  But make no mistake about it:  in practice, the NCAA is best compared with the NBA, MLB or NFL, meaning that it coordinates sporting events for its members – and entertainment for the fans — with the purpose of making money. Continue reading →