Cui Bono: Higher Education Cuts & Consequences

 Here is a set of links culled from the last few days from various sources and all related, directly or indirectly, to Kentucky higher education funding cuts. Research Shows Disconnect Between States’ Job Creation Policies and Real World Job Growth – KY Policy http://kypolicy.org/research-shows-disconnect-between-states-job-creation-policies-and-real-world-job-growth/ Infographic: Kentucky Higher Education Cuts Among Worst in Country – KY
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Senator Dan Seum has sponsored Senate Bill 75 to freeze tuition for four years for all Kentucky public universities. Here is his justification, “Since 2008, we, the state, have cut the general fund appropriation by $165 million for all eight universities. Since 2008, the universities have increased tuition by $572 million.” His insinuation is that
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Louisiana has funded new construction at its flagship campus in recent years of slashed higher education funding, but the state of deterioration at LSU is significant — and it is repeated across all of Louisiana’s public colleges.The Advocate reports the backlog for deferred maintenance at LSU reaches $510 million and has led to unsafe and
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Kansas lawmakers struck back at the University of Kansas on Thursday by adding a provision to the state’s budget to restrict the university from spending certain money. The provision is a response to the university decision to circumvent the Legislature’s authority last month when it issued $326.9 million in bonds. KU relied on a Wisconsin
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Bill tracking browser for Kentucky 2016 Regular Session legislation Source: KY Legislation | 2016 | Regular Session | LegiScan If you want to keep track of legislation as it works its way through the Senate and House, you can’t beat LegiScan for ease of use and comprehensive coverage from the status of the bills to
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Aspirational, yes.  Aspiring to the bottom.  

WKU Student Regent Jay Todd Richey responds to the higher educations funding cuts. I was extremely excited to hear Governor Bevin announce a 100% replenishment of lottery funding for higher education financial aid, because the state legislature diverted approximately $30,000,000 of that funding from CAP and KTG (both need-based financial aid) to the General Fund
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  Source: http://cpe.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/4BABD14E-2CB1-49F5-A909-DC14013C3D9B/0/SpreadsheetGovBudgetSummary.pdf  

Governor Bevin’s budget includes nine percent across the board cuts to most state services. If these cuts go into effect, many areas will have been cut by 15 to 50 percent since 2008. The infographic below highlights some potential harmful effects from such cuts. read more Source: Infographic: Budget Cuts Have Costs and Consequences –
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Source: University of Oklahoma regents approve retirement offer to reduce impact of state budget cuts | News OK Is this a possibility at WKU and the other universities in Kentucky?  And what will be the unforeseen consequences of such a massive retirement? Little or no rehiring?  More adjuncts? No one knows.  In complex systems that
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