ACTA in the NewsCosts
America’s elite universities are bloated, complacent and illiberal
The struggle over America’s elite universities—who controls them and how they are run–continues to rage, with lasting consequences for them and...
Dive Brief:
Dive Insight:
The Trump administration proposal to cut back on administrative reimbursements associated with research grants has been met with a predictable amount of outcry from institutions across the country. Whether the proposal makes it through the FY2018 budget cycle or not, it gives good insight into the types of things which are top-of-mind for officials in government, and it’s worth sparking a conversation on campus about how to scale back administrative bloat. Much of this conversation has been the driver for many merger proposals, with state officials recognizing consolidation as one cost-saving option.
There are likely simple fixes institutions can consider before turning to anything more drastic like salary cuts and eliminating positions. For example, executive travel can be more efficiently scheduled to maximize each trip’s value, and there is likely money to be saved by grouping trips by proximity where appropriate. And consolidating job functions to ask administrators to fill multiple roles could be another way to get better return on spending— for example, at several smaller institutions, the president also teaches some courses. Learning to effectively leverage data to make sure administrators are focusing on the right things and using their time efficiently is one easy fix that can be applied at every institution.
The struggle over America’s elite universities—who controls them and how they are run–continues to rage, with lasting consequences for them and...
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