Ouster of UVa's President and the Future of Public Higher Ed

A story that's been boiling over the past week or so after the surprise ouster of the UVa President Teresa Sullivan after just two years. The political intrigue might be of more interest to people with some connection to the university or the state, but the rift between the president and the board should interest anyone that cares about the future of higher education, particularly at public universities as budgets get cut.

The latest from the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/u-va-board-leaders-wanted-president-teresa-sullivan-to-make-cuts/2012/06/17/gJQA4ijrhV_story.html?hpid=z2

 

A read a somewhat more opinionated piece in Slate about this last week. This helps fill in some of the blanks.

 

Yeah, this must be what you're referring to. Came out before some of these details emerged. Written by a very vocal critic of the Board of Visitors. Must be nice to have tenure.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/hey_wait_a_minute/2012/06/teresa_sullivan_fired_from_uva_what_happens_when_universities_are_run_by_robber_barons_.single.html

 

So that's how an academician applies a systematic beatdown to a board member. Interesting.

Yes, I'm with you in wagering you can't write that without tenure.

 

The name Helen Dragas is not a popular one among UVa alumni right now.

 

I have wondered for a few years now where the future of higher education is heading. So many I know can't even begin to think about the idea of sending kids to college with costs the way they are.

And how many people are willing to take on $100,000 of student loans for a possible career that may not pan out? (Have a family member in that situation now.)

Obviously, things were much different when I attended university. But if I were a graduating senior today, no way I go to anything other than a community college unless I get some major scholarship.

 

The corporatists are committed to starving and shutting down public education at every level, from pre-K through grad school.

If you're smart enough to be born a billionaire, your kids will get a great education. If not, tough shit for you.

Because, you see, they don't want to pay no taxes for nothin'.

 

You make things too simplistic sometimes.

As important as anything else is that they think because certain things have worked for them, they should work for everyone everywhere. Which, of course, isn't the case.

 

Totally agree with Starman. There are gonna be a lot of people out there who don't have a chance to succeed in life. And all those rich folks are gonna be in the minority. The rich folks had best watch their backs as they reside in their gated communities.

 

Not that it's going to matter to some, but the idea that UVa is some harbinger of changes coming to all of public higher education is laughable. UVa is a fabulously elite institution for undergraduate education, but its graduate/research productivity is nowhere near in line with its overall reputation. If its bottom line is getting squeezed as a result (and I wouldn't be surprised to find that that's true), changes would be needed and they'd be needed pronto.

And while Kiernan et al. might try to take credit for Sullivan's ouster, it could be that Sullivan set her administration up for a fall. From the Chronicle of Higher Education (sorry, it's behind a paywall unless you're accessing from a .edu domain):

Oh, and for the record, tenure is a wonderful thing.

 

Without a doubt. And I applaud the good man for writing that. It obviously needed to be said.

 

If the university is not wasting money, wouldn't that make tuition lower?