Printer Jam!

Jammed printers are a fact of life in our business, but this one created by a young worker with mailing labels was a doozy. It required a complete tear-down!

A Rant on Cost Cutting and Revenue Shortfalls

Like most other higher ed institutions, the University of Nebraska has to reduce its planned budget, even though tuition will increase by more than 4% this year. Some of the cost-cutting by other US colleges would probably make sense to Nebraskans, such as giving scholarships to students who do maintenance and landscaping over the summer. Public funding for higher education has dropped tremendously over the past thirty years, mainly because its historical share of state and federal funding has been co-opted by the rapidly growing costs of Medicaid and the loss of sales tax revenues due to internet sales. Tuition, as we all know, has risen dramatically and that trend shows no sign of changing.

How much of a problem is this, and what should be done about it?

In my opinion, the worst outcome of the drop in public funding is that it has forced higher ed institutions to act like businesses. We sell our rights, names, logos, stadium seats, and property to the highest bidder. We make money off of student purchases of everything from bank accounts to soft drinks, driving up their costs for things that aren't education-related. We sport corporate logos where college slogans used to be. My university has even agreed to let a corporation puts its name on one of our master's degrees. Research funding has always been policy and market-driven, and I would argue rightly so...but we now allow funders and donors unprecedented control over our programs and outputs, simply because we need the money.

As I see it, the state's interests used to come first, followed closely by the student's interests. Now, we chase dollars like a profit-driven company. It's a major change of focus, and an unfortunate one.

The states need more revenue, starting with sales tax on internet and catalog purchases that are equal to the sales taxes brick-and-mortar stores must collect and send to the state. Also, now that we have a service-based economy, services must be taxed the same way products always have been. Sure it would be painful to pay taxes on everything we purchase, but it's fair.

Entitlement programs are unbelievably costly and growing fast. Can we go back to calling these payments what they really are, that is, public assistance or welfare? This is the United States of America! Nobody should be "entitled" to free money. I think our society has its priorities upside-down. For example, we give away more college scholarships to rich students than middle class or poor ones. The highest agricultural subsidies go to huge agribusinesses, and social security payments are highest for the people who earned the most money throughout their lives. That's because we have taken on an entitlement mentality instead of a need-based public assistance mentality.

The two changes I suggest--sales tax for all purchases and need-based public assistance--might not balance the public books completely, but they would close most of the gap. They would also create a business and welfare climate that is more empowering and fair than the current one.

Federal Standards for K-12 Education--Good or Bad?

This USA Today article does a good job of summarizing the nationwide initiative to standardize the--well, standards--of elementary and secondary public education. In my opinion, the Common Core State Standards Initiative is long overdue. It undermines "local control" but I'm convinced that might be a good thing, even for Nebraska. Reduced administrative costs are an obvious plus; other upsides include easier transitions for students who move to other states, better education for low-income and historically under-performing institutions, and making public education more attractive to middle & upper-class parents (reducing their incentives to choose private schools and increasing crucial political support for public education).

Memorial Day Poem

The Bivouac of the Dead
By Theodore O'Hara, 1847

The muffled drum's sad roll has beat
The soldier's last tattoo'
No more on life's parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few;
On Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread;
But Glory guards with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead.

Are women steered to the "slow train?"

Watch and decide for yourself.

The related article states, "Although family responsibilities might dampen some women’s willingness to seek demanding positions at the top, the research data suggest that organizational practices sharply curb women’s opportunities for top positions."

You can download the entire report or listen to the podcast at http://www.ddiworld.com/thoughtleadership/holdingwomenback.asp

--Holding Women Back: Troubling Discoveries and Best Practices for Helping Female Leaders Succeed—A Special Report from DDI's Global Leadership Forecast 2008|2009 by Ann Howard, Ph.D., and Richard S. Wellins, Ph.D.

Hat tip: Great Leadership

Research on Generosity

I like this brief summary of several reputable studies, surveys and statistics related to charitable giving. The list of childhood experiences that predict future giving affirm my philosophy, which I learned from military leadership training. That is, the best way to influence others is to lead by example. The best way to learn something is observe, then practice doing it yourself (as the Army manual says, "Soldiers learn by doing.")

Statistics show that poorer Americans out-give richer ones in terms of percentage of their income. This has been true for many years, and I've seen lots of different hypotheses about why. I like this article because it links those statistics with my personal belief, which is that this phenomenon begins in childhood. For what it's worth, here's my take on it.

In general, rich children are used to having things done for them, see their parents less, and participate in competitive activities such as select sports teams and academic camps. Poor children do more things for others (mow Grandma's lawn, for example) to help the family save money, see their parents more, and participate in activities that don't cost much money, which tend to be less competitive and more service-oriented.

Surveys show that wealthy children know about and believe in the values of giving and sharing. In my opinion, they just don't have the opportunities to see and practice those values in action as much as poorer children do. Rich kids spend most of their time working on their own goals and being entertained with activities designed specifically for their peer group. I think this emphasis on personal development leads to high achievement...but low charitable giving.

Demand for Sustainable Agriculture Education Not Met--Yet

For a long time I've been puzzled that the University of Nebraska doesn't have a major in sustainable agriculture. NU sponsors lots of seminars and conferences on the topic, but hasn't yet made a commitment to an academic program. Given its land grant mission, it seems like there would be more leadership from our ag-based university.
But according to this article Inside Higher Ed (Green Revolution, April 23, 2009), very few colleges have formal programs even though demand is high for education in this area of study, while enrollment in traditional agriculture programs has been dropping for years.
Are faculty torn between the companies that fund their labs and the students who want to learn how to farm without toxic chemicals? I have seen agribusiness companies play hardball with researchers, so it's certainly possible. The article title is ironic, since the original "green revolution" of the 1960's and 70's was about increasing yields through application of fertilizers and pesticides. I wonder, if American land grant universities don't get on board, who will train the next generation of farmers? Maybe this place http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/education/ecologic/youngdesigners.htm.

About the photo: Buffalo fly trap, low-tech way to rid cattle of insects. The trap brushes flies off cattle as they walk through. Courtesy CSIRO Australia. Photo Dr Robert Sutherst. From Australia Innovates:an on-line guide to innovation in Australia's industries