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The Impact of the Economic Downturn on Higher Education: Two AAC&U Leaders
Weigh In
Higher education institutions and college students are suffering along with the rest of the economy during tough economic times. Budget cuts are anticipated for at least the next two academic years at many, if not most, institutions. Two experts—and longtime AAC&U colleagues—recently responded to the economic forecast with straight-talking opinions that offer pragmatic advice to help higher education weather the storm.
Anthony Carnevale, a former AAC&U board member, is director of the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University. In a recently published interview with the Making Opportunity Affordable Initiative, Carnevale discusses the changes our higher education system must make to thrive in the future. “A whole series of occupations, including fields like welding and manufacturing, once considered low-skill jobs, are requiring postsecondary credentials,” Carnevale says. “Not educating the number of Americans we need to be competitive internationally will increase social stratification, which has serious implications for government and society at large.” He recommends new federal initiatives, such as a program that diverts extra money to schools that educate low-income and nontraditional students, who traditionally attend community colleges. “To be really blunt, we need to engage in a form of bribery to institutions to move in the right directions, cutting through some of the bureaucracy that runs rampant in higher education,” he says.
Peter Facione, a higher education consultant at Measured Reason and a former ACAD chair, published an op-ed in the March 20 Chronicle of Higher Education describing more than forty practical steps colleges and universities can take to survive the economic downturn. The article, which is based on a presentation Facione made at the 2009 AAC&U Annual Meeting (hear a podcast of the address here), includes suggestions like, “When making budget cuts, do it right the first time. Be decisive, candid, and quick,” and “Create a ‘Work to Learn’ program that fills office, buildings-and-grounds, and custodial positions with student workers who will earn tuition credits.” Facione also suggests saving jobs by reducing salaries by a certain percentage—larger for well-paid positions and smaller for midlevel people—and offering employees temporary or partial leave with no or partial salary but full benefits. Institutions should also offer workshops for students on financial management to help them budget to complete their educations.
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