Cui Bono: Higher Education Cuts & Consequences

This email from Eric Bain-Selbo Colleagues, Given Gov. Bevin’s proposed budget cuts for higher education, rising tuition, and burgeoning student debt, I can’t imagine a more timely event than this Tax Justice and Tuition Workshop on Thursday, Feb. 11, from 2-4 pm. The workshop (presented by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and sponsored on campus by
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“Since 2008, we, the state, have cut the general fund appropriation by $165 million for all eight universities,” Seum said. “Since 2008, the universities have increased tuition by $572 million.” Source: Kentucky Senate to hear tuition freeze bill | News | wkuherald.com   I have been talking with students about why there have been clockwork
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Source: Is Berkeley getting ready to consider a queen sacrifice? | Bryan Alexander   Bryan Alexander puts his blogging fingers to the pulse of the issue. This is a pitched battle for the survival of the idea of the university. If a big outfit like UCBerkeley is considering contraction, amalgamation, or the “Queen Sacrifice”, how
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Kentucky’s public universities might get flexibility to spread mandated budget cuts over 30 months and could win approval for construction projects in the two-year state budget under review by lawmakers. Source: Budget chief: Bevin flexible on cuts, universities’ projects | Lexington Herald-Leader What a sweet deal!  We get to extend the bleeding an extra six
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If you want to look at some of the primary sources for the budget battle, check these out. ​2016-2018 Executive Budget Recommendation Budget in Brief (PDF Format 2,477 KB) Operating Budget – Volume I (Full Version) (PDF Format 3,712 KB) Operating Budget – Volume I (Part A) (PDF Format 1,543 KB) General Government Economic Development
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Are we seeing the rise of the shock doctrine in Kentucky higher education? Naomi Klein’s 2007 book, The Shock Doctrine, argued that the polity is vulnerable during a crisis and that while we are distracted political forces can take advantage in order to push through “unpalatable” policies.  Is Governor Bevin using his budget as a tool to exercise
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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. ESSA, Teachers, and Business Models http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2016/02/essa-teachers-and-business-models.html cn|2 Pure Politics  – Proposed postsecondary education cuts, performance-based funding discussed in House budget review committee http://mycn2.com/politics/proposed-postsecondary-education-cuts-performance-based-funding-discussed-in-house-budget-review-committee Kentucky Board of Education discusses
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My name is Terry Elliott.  I am an instructor at Western Kentucky University.  Everything I say on this site is my own opinion and none of WKU’s.  The purpose of this blog is to explore this question:  what effects will the Governor’s cuts to university budgets for the last four months of the 2015-2016 fiscal
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