Page 152 - Crisis in Higher Education

Changing Attitudes and Expectations • 123

Students and their supporters must push back by making it clear to
universities that prices are too high and tuition must be spent on activities
related to education. With strong feedback from this group, states may be
encouraged to offer financial incentives to universities who achieve lower
costs and better outcomes.
State legislators, boards of regents, and higher education commissions as
well as university boards of trustees are groups that must hear this message.
A good approach is to prepare thoughtful letters and emails that describe the
issues. At the state level, contacting the governor, leaders of the state senate
and state house of representatives, and the director of the board of regents
is important. At the university, the president and the chair of the board of
trustee are the best contacts. It is important for these groups to hear from as
many people as possible. Although these efforts may have a larger impact on
public universities, private universities are not immune from this pressure.

6.1.1.1 Tuition, Fees, and Learning Materials
Public universities and private, not-for-profit universities set the price
for tuition and fees to cover the cost of providing an education, whereas
private, for-profit universities also have a profit margin. The price of
textbooks and other materials are set by publishers, but universities are
complicit as faculty and administrators typically choose these items with-
out considering the price that students pay. So the decision about what to
purchase is made by one group (faculty and administrators), and another
group (students) pays the bill. Splitting the choice of what to purchase
from payment responsibility allows unchallenged price increases. Thus,
students are in a difficult position; they must either buy the expensive
items or not have the tools to take full advantage of their education. One
solution is to require universities to cover the cost of all textbooks and
learning materials. Universities have the bargaining power to deal with
publishers that students and their support groups do not, plus universities
would be more careful about what learning materials students need to
be successful if they covered the cost. Universities would decide to work
closely with publishers to create less expensive ways to deliver knowledge.

6.1.1.2 Athletic Programs

A hidden cost factor is athletics. Only 23 of 228 National Collegiate
Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletic departments generated