Blog
What’s FMAP, and why should you care?
Yesterday, the U.S. Senate ended its filibuster on FMAP, and Speaker Pelosi quickly announced that she would be calling the House back into session to vote on the legislation. The legislation gives $16 billion to the states to support Medicaid, and it also gives another $10 billion to support school districts, particularly for teachers’ jobs.
FMAP refers to the federal percentage of matching funds for state Medicaid expenditures. The federal stimulus money increased the amount of money going to the states until December of this year. The new legislation extends that funding. read more…
Guest Post: What is Guiding Higher Education in Pennsylvania? By Peter Pruim
What is Guiding Higher Education in Pennsylvania?
During the past year the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) ordered universities in the state system to complete a review of department programs with lower numbers of majors in order to justify offering these programs. The review (reported in the Pocono Record, 6/20/2010) involved 185 programs across the 14 campuses. Such a sweeping review should be guided by sound principles governing the role of higher education; however, PASSHE has been less than transparent about the motivation and purpose. Are the targeted programs too costly, or are they no longer of value? Scrutiny of either rationale raises concern that the actions of PASSHE run counter to the interests of the students of Pennsylvania. read more…
The Board of Governor’s Split Personae – IUP Style
Yesterday’s Board of Governor’s Meeting ended with a farcical flourish. The Board passed a resolution, complete with certificate, and standing ovations to honor Dr. Tony Atwater’s contributions to IUP. Dr. Atwater, lest anyone forget, “resigned” after a faculty vote of no confidence inspired by numerous charges of a poor leadership style and financial excesses. See http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10161/1064561-298.stm.
Ironically, even as the Board was commending Dr. Atwater, plans were being made to possibly retrench faculty at IUP. Interestingly, there was no mention of this at the BOG meeting. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_691617.html
Of course, there was no mention of this incongruence in the media . . .
Comments of State APSCUF President Steve Hicks to the PASSHE Board of Governors
This is the 3rd July meeting for which I’ve been state APSCUF president. I’ve spoken the last two Julys about tuition; you won’t be surprised today that I’m speaking about it again. In fact, since you probably read all my messages to faculty, you probably know what I’m going to say.
We all know the legislature passed the Governor’s budget which flat funded us this year. This was expected and we can spin it as positive when many agencies took up to 10% cuts. But that number doesn’t take into account our 4% increase in students last year or the HEPI of 3% last year. Where this leaves us is with a gap of $48 million you saw on the screen yesterday. read more…
Comments of State APSCUF Vice President Ken Mash to the PASSHE Board of Governors
Some fifty years ago, the great professor and teacher Leo Strauss of the University of Chicago said that a, “Liberal [arts] education . . . is a training in the highest form of modesty, not to say of humility.” It is with humility, that I say on behalf of my colleagues, that we have no problem with periodic reviews of programs. Such review is, for a number of reasons, a healthy exercise.
It is with that same humility that I say, on behalf of my colleagues, that many of the programs on the list of programs to be placed in moratorium ought to be there. read more…