“Privatization Without a Plan” – Part 3

Privatization Without a Plan: A Failure of Leadership in Pennsylvania Public Higher Education*

In the previous blog post we focused on the question: “What is this book about?”  In this post we continue with that theme, but begin with a True/False quiz to test your knowledge of how the 14 PASSHE universities are operating during this 2013-14 fiscal year.

 
The PASSHE universities include Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, Edinboro, East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester.

PASSHE Quiz #1 (True or False)

 

1.       The purpose by law of the 14 PASSHE state-owned universities is to provide high quality education at the lowest possible tuition.

2.       The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which paid 90% of the cost of education in 1950 and 63% of the cost in 1983 still pays the majority of the cost of education at the 14 PASSHE universities today.

3.       Seven of the twenty members of the Board of Governors (BOG) in Harrisburg, which controls all 14 universities, are elected by the votes of students, parents and alumni at the PASSHE universities.

4.       Four of the eleven members on the Councils of Trustees (COT) at each PASSHE university are elected by the votes of students, parents and alumni at their respective universities.

5.       The Board of Governors is known for PASSHE education at the lowest possible cost to the students.

6.       Members of the Board of Governors take an oath of fiduciary responsibility to all PASSHE students.

7.       Members of the Councils of Trustees at each PASSHE university take an oath of fiduciary responsibility to the students at their respective universities.

8.       Members of the Board of Governors are prohibited by Pennsylvania law from benefitting financially from their otherwise unpaid service on the Board.

9.       Members of the Councils of Trustees are prohibited by Pennsylvania law from benefitting financially from their otherwise unpaid service on the Councils.

10.   PASSHE students receive a considerably larger State subsidy than Penn State or Pitt students do.

Your grade will depend on how many of the above questions you get right. 

For an A+, you must answer all 10 questions correctly.  

For an A, you must answer at least 9 questions correctly.

 
For a B, you must answer at least 8 questions correctly.
 
For a C, you must answer at least 7 questions correctly. 
 
For a D, you must answer at least 6 questions correctly.
 
Since this entire quiz thing is about fun learning, no one fails and none of the grades are permanent—unless you want them to be.  If you report to me by email that you earned an A+ (or whatever) on Quiz #1, I will send you an official email transcript, no questions asked, suitable for framing and for annoying  friends and significant others about how smart you are about public higher education in Pennsylvania. 

The Correct Answers to Quiz #1

Question 1: False.  The purpose by law of the 14 PASSHE state-owned universities is to provide high quality education at the lowest possible cost to the students (bottom line) not tuition (sticker price).

Question 2: False.  The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania now pays only 25% of the cost of education.  PASSHE students, parents and donors, primarily alumni, now pay 75% of the cost of education.

Question 3: False.  None of the 20 BOG members are elected by PASSHE students, parents or alumni.

Question 4: False.  None of the 11 COT members on campus are elected by students, parents or alumni.

 
Question 5: False.  The Board of Governors is known for keeping the sticker price (tuition) low, while ignoring the law,  Act 188, which requires them to be keeping the bottom line (cost to the students) low.
 
Question 6: False.  Members of the Board of Governors do not take an oath of fiduciary responsibility to all PASSHE students.  They do take an oath of “fidelity,” but the object of their fidelity is not identified.  

Question 7: False.  Members of the Councils of Trustees do not take an oath of fiduciary responsibility to their students.  They do take an oath of “fidelity,” but the object of their fidelity is not identified.

Question 8: False. Members of the Board of Governors are not prohibited by Pennsylvania law from benefitting financially from their service on the BOG, due to Pennsylvania’s weak and narrow Ethics Act.

Question 9: False.  Members of the Councils of Trustees are not prohibited by Pennsylvania law from benefitting financially from their service on the COTs, due to Pennsylvania’s weak and narrow Ethics Act.

Question 10: False.  State appropriation provides approximately $4,000/ year per FTE student at both the PASSHE universities and at state-related universities such as Penn State and Pitt.

If you would like to score well on future Quizzes, reading the book will certainly help!

 

*http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/10/prweb11193325.htm.