“Barron discusses access and affordability strategies to support students”

[BobPSU92]

Got-thisness. See the link below. From the article:

“UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State is committed to providing students with an accessible and affordable high-quality education, and the University is employing a range of creative strategies to help manage educational costs and meet students’ needs, according to Penn State President Eric Barron.

Along with discussing traditional mechanisms for lowering costs in a presentation to the Board of Trustees at its Friday (May 7) hybrid meeting, Barron highlighted non-traditional strategies — from addressing housing and food insecurity to building financial literacy — the University is using to help make a Penn State education more affordable for students.

“For so many students, a Penn State degree continues to place them on a trajectory for lifelong achievement,” Barron said. “The foundation of our land-grant mission is our responsibility to help keep a world-class education accessible for students and working families. Our approach is focused on creating solutions to help students thrive while they are at school, to borrow less, graduate on time and gain financial skills as they prepare to launch their careers and lives.”

Penn State has accomplished multiple years of tuition freezes for in-state students, thanks in part to longstanding efforts to control and monitor costs. According to Barron, when calculated in fiscal year 2021 dollars, in-state students are now paying less tuition for their Penn State education than they were in 2011-12, as well as that Penn State’s tuition has increased less than other Big Ten schools.

At the meeting, Barron summarized efforts to support students during the pandemic, as well as year-round programs that are helping to meet students’ essential needs.

For example, Barron highlighted the ongoing work of a University task force he formed in 2020 to help mitigate student food and housing insecurity across Penn State’s campuses. He announced a new LiveOn Student Success Grant pilot program that provides room-and-board aid for residential students across the Commonwealth and shared updates on a recent Swipe Out Hunger event that allowed students to donate dining dollars, raising more than $12,000 for the Student Emergency Fund.”

Barron discusses access and affordability strategies to support students | Penn State University

 

[interrobang]

How about, lower tuition?

 

[Nitt1300]

hilarious

 

[Pardlion]

They could start by getting rid of the Assistant Deans of Newspeak and Doublethink.

 

[bdgan]

Got-thisness. See the link below. From the article:

“UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State is committed to providing students with an accessible and affordable high-quality education, and the University is employing a range of creative strategies to help manage educational costs and meet students’ needs, according to Penn State President Eric Barron.

Along with discussing traditional mechanisms for lowering costs in a presentation to the Board of Trustees at its Friday (May 7) hybrid meeting, Barron highlighted non-traditional strategies — from addressing housing and food insecurity to building financial literacy — the University is using to help make a Penn State education more affordable for students.

“For so many students, a Penn State degree continues to place them on a trajectory for lifelong achievement,” Barron said. “The foundation of our land-grant mission is our responsibility to help keep a world-class education accessible for students and working families. Our approach is focused on creating solutions to help students thrive while they are at school, to borrow less, graduate on time and gain financial skills as they prepare to launch their careers and lives.”

Penn State has accomplished multiple years of tuition freezes for in-state students, thanks in part to longstanding efforts to control and monitor costs. According to Barron, when calculated in fiscal year 2021 dollars, in-state students are now paying less tuition for their Penn State education than they were in 2011-12, as well as that Penn State’s tuition has increased less than other Big Ten schools.

At the meeting, Barron summarized efforts to support students during the pandemic, as well as year-round programs that are helping to meet students’ essential needs.

For example, Barron highlighted the ongoing work of a University task force he formed in 2020 to help mitigate student food and housing insecurity across Penn State’s campuses. He announced a new LiveOn Student Success Grant pilot program that provides room-and-board aid for residential students across the Commonwealth and shared updates on a recent Swipe Out Hunger event that allowed students to donate dining dollars, raising more than $12,000 for the Student Emergency Fund.”

Barron discusses access and affordability strategies to support students | Penn State University

It's easy to say that tuition hasn't gone up but the fact remains that PSU has the highest in state tuition of any BiG school other than Northwestern which is a private university.

I suspect that some of that has to do with the amount of state aid and some has to do with historical infrastructure spending and contracts. Once those are committed they are nearly impossible to reverse.

This quote probably also applies to large universities.

“The closest thing to eternal life on earth is a Government Program.”​

 

[Art]

It's easy to say that tuition hasn't gone up but the fact remains that PSU has the highest in state tuition of any BiG school other than Northwestern which is a private university.

I suspect that some of that has to do with the amount of state aid and some has to do with historical infrastructure spending and contracts. Once those are committed they are nearly impossible to reverse.

This quote probably also applies to large universities.

“The closest thing to eternal life on earth is a Government Program.”​

The amount of state aid which PSU receives is a function of the level of accountability it has to Harrisburg. Relative to other state universities, it ain't much.

Years ago, lots and lots of years, a group of legislators started in effort under which PSU (and i know Pitt, but no idea about Temple and Lincoln) would receive a much larger appropriation in exchange for a higher degree of supervision from and reporting to Harrisburg. Went nowhere. Neither PSU or the gummint were interested. I'm pretty sure there is no hope for anything like that today.

 

[Agoodnap]

It's easy to say that tuition hasn't gone up but the fact remains

...that it's lie! I posted the following in a thread about Brandon Shorter stating the same thing. If they're going to lie they shouldn't post the data.


The numbers below do NOT include "FEES" as I couldn't quickly find them for past years. I love to see how, if any, fees changed during this period.

For University Park Campus

Fall 2018/Spring 2019.
Freshmen and Sophomores: $17,416. Tuition
Juniors and Seniors:
Business and STEM Majors: $20,780
Nursing Majors: $22,484
All Other Majors: $18,828

Fall 2020/Spring 2021.
Freshmen and Sophomores: $17,920
Juniors and Seniors:
Business and STEM Majors: $21,284
Nursing Majors: $22,988
All Other Majors: $19,332

Increase in Tuition during the time Brandon was on the BOT.
Freshmen and Sophomores: $504
Juniors and Seniors:
Business and STEM Majors: $504
Nursing Majors: $504
All Other Majors: $504

I guess $504 per year is close to no increase so perhaps Brandon thinks he's telling the truth?

If anyone would like to check these numbers here is a link.
Tuition History

 

[BobPSU92]

The amount of state aid which PSU receives is a function of the level of accountability it has to Harrisburg. Relative to other state universities, it ain't much.

Years ago, lots and lots of years, a group of legislators started in effort under which PSU (and i know Pitt, but no idea about Temple and Lincoln) would receive a much larger appropriation in exchange for a higher degree of supervision from and reporting to Harrisburg. Went nowhere. Neither PSU or the gummint were interested. I'm pretty sure there is no hope for anything like that today.

Penn State to Harrisburg: We want your money, not your two cents.

 

[BobPSU92]

...that it's lie! I posted the following in a thread about Brandon Shorter stating the same thing. If they're going to lie they shouldn't post the data.


The numbers below do NOT include "FEES" as I couldn't quickly find them for past years. I love to see how, if any, fees changed during this period.

For University Park Campus

Fall 2018/Spring 2019.
Freshmen and Sophomores: $17,416. Tuition
Juniors and Seniors:
Business and STEM Majors: $20,780
Nursing Majors: $22,484
All Other Majors: $18,828

Fall 2020/Spring 2021.
Freshmen and Sophomores: $17,920
Juniors and Seniors:
Business and STEM Majors: $21,284
Nursing Majors: $22,988
All Other Majors: $19,332

Increase in Tuition during the time Brandon was on the BOT.
Freshmen and Sophomores: $504
Juniors and Seniors:
Business and STEM Majors: $504
Nursing Majors: $504
All Other Majors: $504

I guess $504 per year is close to no increase so perhaps Brandon thinks he's telling the truth?

If anyone would like to check these numbers here is a link.
Tuition History

An increase of $504 really isn’t an increase in 2020 dollars. Plus, COVID.

 

[Art]

Penn State to Harrisburg: We want your money, not your two cents.

Essentially, yes. That pitch could work with Joe with alumni. A PSU President with the Legislature and Governor? That snowball has a life expectancy of 0.0

 

[Media Fan]

At least these buffoons know they have a problem.
First step in a long journey, that so far has really damaged the university’s competitive position.
By my reckoning, we need to reduce the cost of a PSU education by something like 25%-30% to be cost competitive with peers; the probability of achieving that is imo something less than those percentages.
A disgraceful performance by leadership.

 

[BobPSU92]

Essentially, yes. That pitch could work with Joe with alumni. A PSU President with the Legislature and Governor? That snowball has a life expectancy of 0.0

It would be interesting to see how Penn State would operate with government oversight. Given that it’s PA, it would have to be a different sort of disaster than they have now, but a disaster nonetheless. Pick your poison.

 

[BobPSU92]

They could start by getting rid of the Assistant Deans of Newspeak and Doublethink.

But they would still have his or her boss, Vice President of Obfuscation.

 

[Thomas1945]

They could start by getting rid of the Assistant Deans of Newspeak and Doublethink.

Without Assistant Deans of Newspeak and Dublethink we would never be timely apprised of critical evaluations that diligently study and propose significantly insignificant tangential resolutions to existing budgetary versus resource allocation constraints. Thus providing self laudatory solutions that must also necessitate further in-depth study should this remedy not suffice due to readily observable unforeseen circumstances.

 

[RGWhirly]

The amount of money saved on not having to buy dip and chips for Barron should make it more affordable. 😉

 

[Art]

It would be interesting to see how Penn State would operate with government oversight. Given that it’s PA, it would have to be a different sort of disaster than they have now, but a disaster nonetheless. Pick your poison.

Depends on your definition of "disaster." If it's giving PSU more money with little more in the way of effective accountability, it would be a disaster. For the school what it entails is spending a lot more time, effort, and dollars currying favor with the people who control the purse strings. Many/most state university presidents realize that it's the nature of the beast and bite down hard to do what's necessary to get the money. Others are simply too arrogant to kowtow to those with whom they'd never, never share onion dip.

 

[Art]

...that it's lie! I posted the following in a thread about Brandon Shorter stating the same thing. If they're going to lie they shouldn't post the data.


The numbers below do NOT include "FEES" as I couldn't quickly find them for past years. I love to see how, if any, fees changed during this period.

For University Park Campus

Fall 2018/Spring 2019.
Freshmen and Sophomores: $17,416. Tuition
Juniors and Seniors:
Business and STEM Majors: $20,780
Nursing Majors: $22,484
All Other Majors: $18,828

Fall 2020/Spring 2021.
Freshmen and Sophomores: $17,920
Juniors and Seniors:
Business and STEM Majors: $21,284
Nursing Majors: $22,988
All Other Majors: $19,332

Increase in Tuition during the time Brandon was on the BOT.
Freshmen and Sophomores: $504
Juniors and Seniors:
Business and STEM Majors: $504
Nursing Majors: $504
All Other Majors: $504

I guess $504 per year is close to no increase so perhaps Brandon thinks he's telling the truth?

If anyone would like to check these numbers here is a link.
Tuition History

The question that Short fails to pose is where does the money on the other side of the equation, expenditure, come from. Some of those sources are good, other not so much.

 

[Op2]

Put the name of every administrator at the university on a slip of paper and put all the slips of paper into a big hat. Draw out 2/3 of the slips of paper. Fire those people, keep the other 1/3 and lower tuition costs accordingly.

 

[Nitwit]

Which administrators do you fire? The ones that create and protect the university’s computer systems so that zoom classes can be arranged for 30,000 students during a pandemic, or the ones that order supplies to feed the cattle in the agriculture school, or the administrators who handle insurance, HR, purchasing, legal, accounting, or the ones who manage the health services for the students?

 

[Op2]

Which administrators do you fire? The ones that create and protect the university’s computer systems so that zoom classes can be arranged for 30,000 students during a pandemic, or the ones that order supplies to feed the cattle in the agriculture school, or the administrators who handle insurance, HR, purchasing, legal, accounting, or the ones who manage the health services for the students?

Yes.

Just kidding. Obviously I'm not really in favor of mass indiscriminate firings, but the number of college administrators has increased drastically over the past several decades so I think there's a lot of fat there.

We need people to arrange for the big Zoom classes but OTOH if we have big Zoom classes doesn't that mean a bunch of people where were doing something relevant to when the students were attending classes in person are no longer doing it?

Also, it's more than just administrators. There is an arms race with colleges offering more and more amenities. The students get the loans and then the colleges get the money from the loans and if/when the loans turn out to not be worth it, the colleges are already paid off. What they really ought to do is have the colleges give the loans and then if the students can't pay it off the colleges are the ones that get stiffed. That would give colleges an incentive to make sure students get a good return on their investment, unlike now when the colleges get paid regardless.

 

[Nitwit]

I have no argument with most of what you said. Administrators need to be efficient, but we shouldn’t assume that they don’t add considerable value to operations that are essential to the mission of the university. It’s the low hanging fruit that everyone likes to take a shot at without real knowledge of what these people contribute.

On the subject of student loans, I am not in favor of the university becoming the lender. Can you imagine the administrative nightmare that would become? Let’s leave the lending to the lenders and leave the teaching and research to the school.

 

[Agoodnap]

Which administrators do you fire? The ones that create and protect the university’s computer systems so that zoom classes can be arranged for 30,000 students during a pandemic, or the ones that order supplies to feed the cattle in the agriculture school, or the administrators who handle insurance, HR, purchasing, legal, accounting, or the ones who manage the health services for the students?

Almost everyone of those positions have done by the administrators from "home" since covid. Therefore, every one of those positions could be done by someone in a low cost country, say for sake of discussion Indonesia. You could hire 5 people in Indonesia for the cost of one at University Park and the Indonesians would happily work east coast time, rarely if ever complain, and never ask for time off. They better start thinking about that...

I could go further and suggest that virtually every service job could easily be outsourced. Think about that for a moment. Teachers? no problem teaching classes from anywhere in the world as has been proven all over the country this past year. Computer system support? For $15K per programmer/analyst I could hire an army of them in India today. A skeleton crew on campus would all that would be needed.

The guy who feeds the animals will have a job as long as someone doesn't figure out that students could watch videos about animals and therefore the actual animals aren't needed...as it has been done for the past year.

 

[Nitwit]

We could have the computer security jobs done by the Chinese. What could possibly go wrong? Maybe replace the football team with a video game…. You’re onto something here. Let’s apply this to the private sector too. Everyone working from home in the United States could be replaced by cheaper foreign workers. Think of all the money American companies could save.

 

[Agoodnap]

We could have the computer security jobs done by the Chinese. What could possibly go wrong? Maybe replace the football team with a video game…. You’re onto something here.

You're laughing now, but I've spoken with CEO's who are planning to offshore many/most of the "service" jobs. Covid has taught them that you don't need people in the office and since everyone is fighting to stay working from home...

China would be fine for the Bursar, Admissions, Accounting, Purchasing, etc. They are becoming costly so I'd setup in a few other places. India is perfect for the IT jobs. There isn't a service job on campus that I couldn't outsource. Not sure if you are aware but virtually every company has outsourced many of their jobs, not just manufacturing. I thought you had a career in business?

 

[Nitwit]

Outsourcing exists but not to the level you are implying or contemplating and it comes with its own set of problems, particularly involving corporate culture and values. Can you name any university which currently has their admissions office run by workers overseas? Can you name any American company which has their HR staff outsourced to a foreign county? Cheaper is not always better, it’s just cheaper.

 

[Agoodnap]

Outsourcing exists but not to the level you are implying or contemplating and it comes with its own set of problems, particularly involving corporate culture and values. Can you name any university which currently has their admissions office run by workers overseas? Can you name any American company which has their HR staff outsourced to a foreign county?

Universities haven't even thought of outsourcing services and why should they when they just have to raise tuition. Change the culture and maybe, just maybe they'll start acting responsibility.

Every larger company I know has a portion of their HR outsourced. Many have most of their HR's jobs outsourced.