A model for addressing college costs (HT: Dan Formanowicz)

http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/27/my-view-a-model-for-addressing-college-costs/

My View: A model for addressing college costs

By Nancy L. Zimpher, Special to CNN

"But solving the budget crisis in public higher education must go beyond the standard solutions of state funding and tuition hikes. All too often, administrators see it as an "either-or" decision. Our nation’s economic crisis demands that we find new and innovative ways to manage our public institutions. The status quo is no longer an option.

When you have a large public university system – SUNY has a 64-campus umbrella – opportunities can be identified to cut costs and increase efficiency, and those savings can be redirected to expanding access and enhancing services that directly benefit students. For instance, there are significant cost savings that can be realized by consolidating information technology or human resources services, and those funds can enable universities to hire more full-time faculty, offer more courses, or expand advisement services to ensure on-time degree completion. Regional centers can centrally process payroll, purchasing, and other administrative tasks instead of duplicating these services at one or more campuses."