The PC Behind the Bloat

[Valin]

Power Line

Steven Hayward

26/13

 

 

The Wall Street Journal also * reports today that a number of larger universities are starting to make cutbacks in the bloated ranks of administrators. As is well known, the number of highly paid administrators at colleges and universities has grown much faster than classroom instructors over the last decade or two. Between 2001 and 2011, the Journal reports, the ranks of college administrators grew 57 percent, while the number of teaching faculty grew by 37 percent. Many administrative positions pay far higher salaries than classroom professors.

 

 

Administrative bloat is not a new story, but there are two aspects of the causes of bloat that I seldom see discussed. First, how much of the growth in administrative ranks is driven by political correctness along with federal mandates? Most larger universities not only have large offices policing diversity, sexual harassment, and so forth, but often have deans and vice chancellors for these programs, usually paid at dean and vice chancellor salary levels. Any many colleges now have administrative officers for sustainabilityironic since the cost model of higher education is clearly unsustainable. (And insofar as any sensible notion of sustainability refers chiefly to simple resource efficiency, why isnt this a prime candidate for outsourcing?) The point is, liberals who moan about the high cost of college education today need to look in the mirror, for much of this cost expansion is probably the result of catering to the pressure groups who demand special programs to scratch their itch. It would be good to see a detailed studyperhaps from our friends at the Center for College Affordability and Productivityinto this phenomena. And it might be nice to break out the cost into line items; that is, include separate charges for diversity services at universities, and watch the backlash grow.

 

(Snip)

* Behind Paywall

[Valin]

One Party Government: Higher Education

Speed Gibson

30 December 2013

 

It's the season to post about the big news stories of this year, 2013. Nationally, pick one of the many and there were many, many of which will carry over into 2014. Here in Minnesota, there are also several top stories to consider but I submit almost all of them have one thing in common: one party government. That's my pick for local story of the year, predictably a year of almost no unaccountability, no matter the results. Let me resume blogging by reviewing several results of Minnesota's first experience with one party rule in decades.

 

Let me take you back to early January, when The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported troubling administrative bloat at the University, well above national norms. As recapped by The Washington Post's Charles Lane, "the number of employees with 'human resources' or 'personnel' in their job titles has grown from 180 to 272 since the 2004-05 academic year." Former Governor Arne Carlson added this perspective on April 6:

 

When I came into the governors office in 1991, the president of the university made approximately $152,000. I made $112,000 for a gap of some $40,000.

Today, the governor makes $120,000, and the university president is paid $610,000 a gap of $490,000.

The lead attorney for the university makes $295,000. Thats about $180,000 more than Minnesotas attorney general, $95,000 more than the attorney general of the United States, and over $70,000 more than the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

(Snip)