Talking about change is easy. Actually enacting it is hard.
So say a group of college and university presidents, who told the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics (co-chaired by University System Chancellor Brit Kirwan), that they want to rein in the cost of athletics programs, but don’t feel powerful enough to do so. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Libby Sanders writes:
The respondents said that while major changes were needed, presidents had limited power to control the rising expenses of sports on their own campuses and at the national and conference levels.
“The real power doesn’t lie with the presidents,” one leader said in the report. “Presidents have lost their jobs over athletics. Presidents and chancellors are afraid to rock the boat with boards, benefactors, and political supporters who want to win, so they turn their focus elsewhere.”
Meanwhile, the Obama administration is telling colleges nationwide to get ready for change – a switchover from bank-based to direct lending. Congress hasn’t approved the switch yet, but the administration is confident enough to have Secretary of Education Arne Duncan send letters to colleges and universities asking them to get ready, the New York Times‘ Tawar Lewin reports.
Quick Hits
- Under Armour, which may or may not actually own the university, had a very nice 3rd fiscal quarter.
- An Arizona State graduate student walked into his professors’ office and killed himself.
- Jurassic Laurel! An area near the campus is designated as a park because of its high concentration of dino fossils.