In the 1970s, there was almost no personal computers and printers. Electric calculator was noble. Library literature search means you go to the library and spend all day reading journals, follow citations, for other publications. Many ecological researches are based on field observations and simple experimental studies. Student dorm means just rooms and beds. All you needed for education were pen, paper, book, and brain. Now, everyone have PC, printer. Basic class lab work involves DNA sequences, and expensive chemical analyses machines, GIS, and yes internet. Student residential housing now have internet, AC, security, gym, pools, all amenities. All of those peripheral machines and equipments, minimum requirements for a basic education cost a lot of money to purchase, operate, maintain, upgrade, and replace. Oh, and a lot of supporting staff to keep those running without interruption. No wonder, the cost of education has become very expensive.
Toshihide "Hamachan" Hamazaki, 濱崎俊秀PhD Alaska Department of Fish and Game: アラスカ州漁業野生動物課 Division of Commercial Fisheries: 商業漁業部 333 Raspberry Rd. Anchorage, AK 99518 Phone: (907)267-2158 Cell: (907)440-9934 -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Martin Meiss Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 9:06 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] UC-Berkeley and other 'public Iv ies'in fiscal peril Hi, Rick, I don't think the answer is that simple. I went to a small, private, liberal arts college from 1970 through 1974 and it cost my father about $3,000 per year for room, board, and tuition. Now it would cost about $42,000, about a 14-fold increase. Inflation, which I'm guessing has been about three-fold since then, obviously only accounts for a small part of that, and since it is a private school, declining government subsidies are not the reason. The professors haven't all become millionaires. The campus hasn't been plated with gold. The students aren't getting an education that is ten times better than what I got. This is a general trend, not just a phenomenon of my alma mater, and I really do want to know what the hell is going on. My father had a bachelor's degree, and my annual college costs were about on fifth of his annual income. I have a PhD and the costs for my kids would be well over half of my annual income. Can someone out there tell my why higher education is becoming something only for the rich? Martin M. Meiss 2011/12/28 Rick Lindroth <[email protected]> > The answer is simple and (nearly) universal: states' support for > higher education has declined precipitously over recent decades, > especially in recent years. In essence, states are transfering the > financial burden of higher education from the general public to > individuals (students and parents). > > Although tuition increases have been high, they cannot close the gap; > hence the fiscal peril that public research institutions now find > themselves in. > _______________________________________________ > Richard L. Lindroth, Ph.D. > Professor of Ecology, Associate Dean for Research, and Associate > Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station University of > Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 53706 U.S.A. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > > [mailto:ECOLOG- [email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul Cherubini > > Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 6:29 PM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] UC-Berkeley and other 'public Iv ies'in > > fiscal > peril > > > > > The University of California at Berkeley subsists now in perpetual > > > austerity. Star faculty take mandatory furloughs. > > > Classes grow perceptibly larger each year. Roofs leak; e-mail > > > crashes. One employee mows the entire campus. > > > Wastebaskets are emptied once a week. Some professors lack > > > telephones. > > > > If all of the above is true, then can someone please explain why for > > 20+ years the annual increase in the cost of college tuition has far > > outpaced the consumer price index, heath care, energy costs, etc. > > > > http://www.nas.org/polArticles.cfm?doc_id=1450 > > http://tinyurl.com/6xq6hv > > > > Paul Cherubini > > El Dorado, Calif. >
