The University Senate is sponsoring a series of talks about critical issues affecting the funding of private research universities. The series begins Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. with Cornell University professor Ronald G. Ehrenberg on "Is the Golden Age of Private Research Universities Over?" He will talk via high definition videoconference in the WHSCAB auditorium about why financial models are breaking down, including the rising cost of administration and financial aid. A question and answer session will follow.
Ehrenberg, whose expertise is in all facets of higher education funding, has reviewed Emory’s high level budgets and will comment specifically about Emory, according to Gray Crouse, president of the University Senate and chair of the Faculty Council.
Crouse invites everyone to the series, "Shaping Emory's Future: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century," to explore what is driving the increase in higher education costs, and whether this increase is sustainable. "If it is not sustainable, what are the implications for us as faculty?" Crouse asks. These questions are relevant for faculty in all of the schools of the University, he notes.
"Ron Ehrenberg is by all accounts one of the leaders in the study of the funding of higher education, and I think he will provide a great start to the series," says Crouse, professor of biology.
Ehrenberg, author of "Tuition Rising: Why College Costs So Much," will discuss the changes in higher education that have occurred over the last 30 years and speculate on what the future will bring.
The "Shaping Emory's Future: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century" series continues with:
"A Faculty Encamped Just North of Armageddon" by Robert Zemsky, University of Pennsylvania professor and Learning Alliance for Higher Education chair. Tuesday, Dec. 4, 4 p.m., Jones Room, Woodruff Library
"The Law of More: Unmanaged Cost Growth in Universities" by Jeff Denneen, Bain & Company. Monday, Feb. 11, 2013, 4 p.m. (location TBA)
"Financial Aid: Moral Imperative, Competitive Tool, or Unsustainable Burden?" by Sandy Baum, Skidmore College professor emerita and senior associate at the Institute for Higher Education. Tuesday, March 5, 2013, 4 p.m., Jones Room, Woodruff Library.