Thursday, February 17, 2011
 
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Universities: Proposals to freeze tuition, cut top pay would strangle higher ed

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[February 17, 2011]  SPRINGFIELD -- An Illinois lawmaker wants to freeze college tuition rates and cut pay for state university presidents.

But state Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Cicero, is facing opposition in his effort to reform higher education in the state.

"During the worst economic recession facing Illinois, working families and the middle class are looking for legislators to send the message to universities of Illinois to keep the tuition increases at a minimum in order to make colleges affordable and accessible for working families. That's the bottom line," Sandoval said.

Illinois State University's president, Dr. Al Bowman, said Illinois has universities with a wide variety of tuition and fee rates for students and families to choose from to fit their budget.

"And those rates must be market-driven -- decided by each institution," Bowman said.

A tuition freeze could financially hurt students, according to David Gross, a lobbyist for Southern Illinois University.

"Limiting a growth in the tuition revenue the man has prescribed in both of those bills would really result in further budget cuts," Gross said, "and probably increase the financial burden on students by increasing their 'time to degree.' Various courses and subjects will not be available as a result of the cuts that are necessary for this type of policy."

State Sen. Michael Frerichs, D-Champaign, said a tuition freeze could hurt the quality of higher education.

"I understand (Sandoval) wants to control tuition costs, but at a time when the state has been cutting back funding for education -- if you were to handcuff the amount of money they can take into tuition, I think the ultimate result is degradation in quality of higher education in the state of Illinois," Frerichs said. "So I can agree with his goals; I'm just not sure with the methods to get there."

Sandoval said he wants the state universities' presidents or chief executive officers to take a 10 percent pay cut.

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But Bowman said there are not enough people qualified to be presidents and CEOs in a university setting, and cutting pay would reduce the number of attractive candidates.

"The proposal on cutting presidential salary fails to recognize that the marketplace for college presidents responds to supply and demand," Bowman said. "The supply of individuals who are capable of running the very complex organization is small. And board members are interested in attracting and also retaining talent in a very competitive marketplace."

Sandoval also is proposing that the governor appoint a specific inspector to keep an eye out on universities.

The Office of Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor already is overseeing Illinois universities. In a committee meeting, other lawmakers expressed their concerns with the additional funding for the new position that Sandoval proposes.

The University of Illinois is troubled by Sandoval's approach.

"If you look at these bills as a group, it looks like micromanagement of higher education in Illinois by legislators," U of I spokesman Thomas Hardy said.

The bills are SB0114, SB0121 and SB0131.

[Illinois Statehouse News; By MARY J. CRISTOBAL]

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