2008 Woodie Awards
Butcher Truncated
Jason Robo
Issue date: 8/22/07 Section: Opinion
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Humboldt State University's staggeringly asinine policies reveal an urgency for shared governance and transparency. HSU administrative negligence is abundant if not rampant. Solutions presented to alleviate budget woes focus on enrollment are a symptom of greater underlying problems. The funding model and mismanagement of funds is destroying education in America, integral to freedom the founding fathers believed in. The president is attacking academics without addressing the funding structure or transparent budget audits. Financial asphyxiation justifies paradoxical academic program eliminations, lay-offs, rapid cost inflation and larger class sizes. "Solutions" appear prioritized proportionately by contradiction to the California State University's mission for high-quality and affordable education.
Insufficient enrollment and retention rates are cited as budgetary solutions. HSU retention rates gravitate around 75 percent, which is average. Perhaps an educated leader would consider socio-economics before pumping more students into HSU. Nationwide, only 28 percent of public university students graduate in four years, 58 percent in six. America's widening gap between rich and poor has the top ten percent of Americans earning 48.5 percent of all income, inequality unseen since prior to the Great Depression. Students are deterred today by worsening economic famine, single/working parents, medical issues and family/financial/employment constraints. Survival forces our wants to become subverted by needs.
It is blatantly clear that while the administration promotes the absurd 15-units/30 hours of study time, the goal is not realistic while rising costs of living increases the difficulty of pursuing higher education for most Americans. Income is positively correlated with ability to complete academic programs. Physical education classes are an excellent way to stay fit and add units as well as single-unit weekend courses. Faculty suggested a single-unit mega-class, but I guess it was too good of an idea and the offer was refused by the administration. Taking something other than academic units can provide less burdensome supplement to full-time enrollment targets.
Insufficient enrollment and retention rates are cited as budgetary solutions. HSU retention rates gravitate around 75 percent, which is average. Perhaps an educated leader would consider socio-economics before pumping more students into HSU. Nationwide, only 28 percent of public university students graduate in four years, 58 percent in six. America's widening gap between rich and poor has the top ten percent of Americans earning 48.5 percent of all income, inequality unseen since prior to the Great Depression. Students are deterred today by worsening economic famine, single/working parents, medical issues and family/financial/employment constraints. Survival forces our wants to become subverted by needs.
It is blatantly clear that while the administration promotes the absurd 15-units/30 hours of study time, the goal is not realistic while rising costs of living increases the difficulty of pursuing higher education for most Americans. Income is positively correlated with ability to complete academic programs. Physical education classes are an excellent way to stay fit and add units as well as single-unit weekend courses. Faculty suggested a single-unit mega-class, but I guess it was too good of an idea and the offer was refused by the administration. Taking something other than academic units can provide less burdensome supplement to full-time enrollment targets.
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