December 1, 1994: Vol26n12: Unusual course deals with financing of higher education

By CHRISTINE VIDAL
Reporter Editor
A unique course being taught at UB this semester takes a look at one
of the basic issues in higher education -- its financing.
	Offered through the Department of Educational Organization,
Administration and Policy in the Graduate School of Education, the
course is conducted by those who truly know the ins and outs of
university budgets.
	The class, OAP 507, Financing Higher Education, is being
taught by professors and administrators with a wide range of
university experience: D. Bruce Johnstone, former SUNY chancellor;
Robert Wagner, UB senior vice president for university services;
William Barba, assistant professor of Educational Organization,
Administration and Policy; and Richard Wiesen, senior vice president
of D'Youville College.
	Through case studies, the class offers students a chance to
grapple with issues they may encounter during their careers as higher
education administrators. "A lot of learning goes on because the
discussion raises a whole set of fascinating issues," said Wagner.
	The class, which is composed of a mix of doctoral and master's
degree students, as well as a postdoctoral student who is a dean at an
area college, is intended to "teach them why we do it as we do it,"
said Johnstone.
tudents are divided into groups that
	Wiesen called "a small microcosm of what you'd find at a
college." Those small groups are pivotal to the learning experience,
the instructors agree. "One of the pieces of this course that we
thought was important was to put students into study groups and give
them a case study to do," said Wiesen.
	"What you really want is group interaction," said Johnstone.
	Among the scenarios presented as part of the class discussion
is the hypothetical expenditure of departmental resources in the face
of several faculty openings:
	"Your department has experienced four faculty turnovers. Three
individuals opted to take an early retirement package, and one
colleague died. You are faced with the challenge of making
replacements in these faculty lines. Some of your colleagues want to
hire at the junior level; others want to hire a 'star' with a national
reputation. If you hire the latter, several areas of instruction will
be left open. How do you decide who to hire, and more importantly, how
do you spend these most valuable of departmental resources?"
	Students are asked to make that decision, acting as the
theoretical department chair, by discussing who is involved in the
process and considerations that will go into making their decision. A
spokesman for the group then presents the decision, and the process by
which it was reached, to the entire class.
	In addition to being a thought-provoking exercise, the
instructors say, case studies are an important means of teaching
students to collaborate with colleagues. "Half of the point is they're
working together on a project," Barba said.
	The class looks at issues such as financial options under
periods of austerity, higher education's costs to students, theory of
cost sharing, arguments for high tuition and high financial aid, and
the rising relative cost phenomenon. Sessions also are devoted to
federal and state funding for higher education, including budgetary
procedures and contextual issues such as the state of New York's
economy and public vs. private funding.
	"How do you think about being equitable? How do you think
about being comprehensive?" Wagner said. "The class spends a lot of
time thinking about basic issues." Students also look at relative
priorities, such as balancing social service vs. other needs. o