ACTA in the NewsTrusteeship
Public University Trustees Should Serve the Public Good
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin made the right decision when he vetoed Senate Bill 506. However, both the title and text of...
College governing boards should do their part to cut costs on campuses, according to the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, which has published a 20-page guide to help trustees find money-saving opportunities.
“If you think times are tough for your university’s budget, consider how difficult economic times are for your students and their families,” reads the report, “Cutting Costs: a Trustee’s Guide to Tough Economic Times.” “It is surely not the time to balance your university’s budget with higher tuitions and student fees.”
The group, which advocates on university governance as well as against what it sees as a liberal orthodoxy in higher education, distributed the guide on Monday to 10,000 trustees at more than 600 colleges across the country.
Experts generally recommend that trustees stick to strategic financial planning, over multiyear time lines, and avoid making annual line-item budget decisions. The council says it is not recommending micromanagement but courageous leadership. “Students, parents, stakeholders, and—for public universities—taxpayers depend on your vigilance and firmness.”
Several areas are ripe for eliminating budgetary waste, according to the guide, including building projects, search-firm contracts, travel expenses, administrative redundancy, and mission creep.
“Beware of building and maintenance projects broken into multiple small units, masking large expenditures beneath seemingly routine activity,” the report says.
Good data are key to making financial decisions, says the guide, which recommends that trustees review financial numbers from the Department of Education as well as reports prepared by university administrators.
The guide is peppered with specific cost-cutting examples, like a $20-million effort by the University of Missouri at Columbia. It identifies savings through distance education, partnerships and consortia between colleges, increased teaching loads, and forgoing specialized accreditation.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin made the right decision when he vetoed Senate Bill 506. However, both the title and text of...
On April 8, 2024, Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed Senate Bill 506, legislation that attempted to circumvent the taxpayers of Virginia by allowing higher education governing boards to be beholden to the narrow interests of the institutions they serve.
Launched in 1995, we are the only organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives an intellectually rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.
Discover MoreSign up to receive updates on the most pressing issues facing our college campuses.