Sanford (SC Gov) Wants To Let Public Colleges Privatize

[kayell]

http://www.thecarolinachannel.com/education/2685488/detail.html

Move Would Let State Stop Funding Universities
Gov. Mark Sanford was in Charleston Friday to discuss a proposal to allow South Carolina's public colleges and universities to privatize and become not-for-profits.

The proposal makes the schools that privatize free from state regulation by the Commission on Higher Education. Sanford said it would give the schools more flexibility to exercise self-governance in areas like procurement, human resources, capital planning and fund-raising.

Sanford says it also would free the state to devote funds to other educational needs in South Carolina.

Under the proposal, all buildings, real estate and capital improvements would be transferred from the state to the schools that choose to accept the offer.

more

:grr:

[Occulus]

1. omg

"more flexibility to exercise self-governance in areas like procurement, human resources, capital planning and fund-raising. "

Yeah, and I'm sure we can add 'curriculum engineering' to that list as well....

[montanacowboy]

2. But wait a minute

are not those state colleges land granted? you just turn it over lock stock and barrel to "private interests?" excuse me, what am I missing here?

[kayell]

7. Yep, Land Grant colleges

Home of such useful services as state cooperative extension service, pesticide regulatory agency, forestry, .... all kinds of programs designed to serve the people of a state rather than just the wealthy few.

The Land Grant Act was among the great things Lincoln did for this country.

[jsw_81]

3. Reminds me of what the Repukes tried here in Washington

The right-wingers in the legislature proposed privatizing the public colleges and universities and placing them under "God's law" because the schools had become "infected" with too much liberalism. :eyes:

The proposal failed, of course, but it's scary to think about what might happen if they could have their way.

[Yavin4]

4. Good Move Genius!

Then when the state schools start charging the same as private schools, who will go there?! That's why they have state schools, because they're cheaper than private schools.

What an idiot!

[theorist]

5. I graduated from the College of Charleston last year.

It received less than 30% of its funding from the state and it was less than $8000 for residents while I was there. I'm not sure why you would be upset about a move to make a school like this a private, not-for-profit institution, especially if it wants to raise its standards and compete for better out-of-state students without restrictions from the state government.

My alma mater has surprisingly good science programs. (I am now a graduate student at Indiana University Bloomington.) The College of Charleston is definitely not a religious institution. I can see that it might want to become private solely to raise the quality of students entering so that it become a more renowned research institution that focuses on undergraduate education.

[kayell]

10. There are several colleges in SC that are "state" colleges

that probably shouldn't be, but Sanford isn't talking just about them. He is also talking about Clemson and USC, which not only serve the students who attend and receive a better education than they could afford otherwise. These major land grant universities also provide many, many benefits to the entire population of the state through Public Service Activities. If you think that doesn't apply to you try here to see what that means. http://www.clemson.edu/public/

These are the people who make sure that your food is safe to eat, that make sure termite control people actually know what they are doing, that ensure that you can find information on everything from safe pest control, to home financial planning, to training restaurant workers in safe food handling. They make sure that boll weevils no longer destroy the cotton crop in this state. This state would be much, much poorer without the programs that are provided by the land grant universities.

If they privatize these universities, the public services would be the first programs to sink out of sight.

[theorist]

12. You're absolutely right.

It would be a crime to make USC, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, etc. into private schools. What I got from the article was that this would be a voluntary act on the part of the board of directors of the particular university.

If Sanford's plan goes through, which I doubt, certain schools should be barred from taking on privatization (particularly the land grant schools). Thanks for bringing this to my attention; I'll keep an eye on it. I have always been concerned about the leadership of SC, especially in the area of education.

[CheshireCat]

6. That is "our" governor!

This guy Sandford is an idiot. Even many of the repukes and repuke press that supported him think his ideas are absurd.

Sanford is a "rich boy" who spends much of his time sailing in the Caribbean. This guy is so out of touch that he scares me to death.

I think the odds of him pulling this off are next to nil.

[kayell]

8. I sure hope it dies an early death

Sanford is despicable.

[aquaman]

9. As a SC resident.....

This guy scares the hell out of me. He reminds me of Bush, although one difference being that Sanford does appear to have an IQ above 70. However, he attempts, like Bush, to portray himself as a "common man" when in fact he is a spoiled rich brat that has no clue what the average person experiences.

[Tempest]

11. I wonder if Edison will make a bid

After all, they were such a great success in Philadephia.

/sarcasm off