The claims made by Darryl Greer, CEO of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities, in his guest opinion editorial, "Hope for a new vision for N.J. higher education" (Dec. 2), raise more questions than answers.
It is true that the annual exodus of graduating seniors to out-of-state institutions is a problem. However, in-state institutions would be much more attractive if school managers performed long-overdue maintenance, upgrades and modernization of existing facilities, rather than embarking on grandiose projects that can only be financed by excessive borrowing and hikes in tuition and fees.
It is also true that our public institutions are not adequately funded. Unlike Mr. Greer's association, New Jersey's higher education unions have consistently taken the lead in lobbying the Legislature for more funding. Public higher education unions commissioned an update of the New Jersey Policy Perspective report "Flunking Out: New Jersey's Support for Higher Education Falls Short," which calls for making an honest assessment of what is needed, giving real thought to priorities, investing in the future -- and then doing everything possible to make sure the resources are available.
Higher education faculty and staff are advocating for the formation of a statewide master plan for higher education. Unfortunately, the practical application of this professional experience is opposed by the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities, which advocates for allowing the individual institutions to continue destructive one-upmanship rather than coordination.
The fact is that our state colleges' and universities' managers cannot be entirely trusted to focus on expanding quality education rather than their personal portfolios. Without state oversight, the presidents and their boards of trustees made budgetary decisions as if they were running private corporations. It will continue to make no difference to them what each of the other schools does until each institution is part of a fully integrated state system of higher education.
In Northern New Jersey, for example, there are five state colleges and universities within no more than 40 miles of one another. They don't coordinate their programs or overall institutional needs. They plan, borrow, build and create or eliminate academic programs with no regard for how those changes affect their sister institutions.
There are even highway billboards in South Jersey that attempt to entice students to attend state colleges and universities in North Jersey and vice-versa. This wasteful competition has burdened public higher education students in New Jersey with among the highest tuition rates and debt loads in the nation.
Mr. Greer makes mention of a new "blue ribbon" report that is due out shortly from the Governor's Task Force on Higher Education, created last spring by Gov. Christie and chaired by former Gov. Tom Kean. He does not mention that not one representative from the higher education unions was appointed to the task force. Nor does he mention that the task force operates in the dark, failing to hold public hearings or to request information from public stakeholders. Without balanced input, the report can only be flawed.
We also care about our students, accountability to the taxpayers and the future of higher education in New Jersey. Mr. Greer's repeated advocacy for the so-called higher education "tool kit bills" could not be more self-serving. Do these bills indeed amount to any more than a naked grab for more power by the state higher education presidents and their boards of trustees?
If Mr. Greer truly believes in greater accountability, we invite him to join in the call that Gov. Christie implement S1609, which was signed into law in January. That law was enacted in response to the State Commission of Investigation report that highlighted serious mismanagement of our public institutions of higher education. The law's provisions include empowering the Commission of Higher Education to impose effective and efficient state oversight of public higher education and more accountability from state college and university governing boards; implementing Sarbanes-Oxley style standards to improve fiscal accountability; enacting controls on higher education lobbying by the individual institutions; expanding the number of members on the commission to represent more constituencies; and creating a new Cabinet-level higher education secretary.
It's astonishing that Gov. Christie, who was charged with enforcing the law while he was a federal prosecutor, has chosen to ignore laws he does not like since becoming governor. Wouldn't our students, their parents and all taxpayers be better served if Gov. Christie enforced this existing law instead of pushing for tool kit measures that reward bad managers? We know they would, but don't hold your breath.
Nicholas Yovnello is president of the Council of New Jersey State College Locals-American Federation of Teachers, which represents faculty and staff at the nine state colleges and universities.
Source: NJ
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