Tuition Hikes: Where Does the Money Go?

Samuel Sugimoto

Section A01

Week 4

Tuition Hikes: Where Does the Money Go?

            Josh Eidelson’s “Fighting Privatization, Occupy Activists at CUNY and UC Kick Into High Gear” calls out an increasing troubling reality: tuition at UC schools have steadily increasing, yet the students have not received any substantial benefit resulting from these tuition raises.  The article points out that in addition to the close ties between the Board of Regents and the private sector, despite the steady increase in tuition increases, management positions within the university increased four times as quickly as faculty positions.  Students attend the University of California to have a quality education, so why is the student’s tuition funneled towards changes that provide little benefit to the students?  As discussed in class, even current professors are not seeing any benefits from the tuition increases.  Tenured positions are disappearing and some departments are struggling to survive.

Question: How long before California’s other higher education organizations like CSU and Community Colleges give in to the private sector, leaving Californians with no affordable means of higher education?