Higher education survey shouldn't be taken too seriously

Are colleges out purely to get students’ money? A recent study said more Americans believe schools are putting their financial interests above their educational mission.

The study, conducted by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, found six in 10 Americans surveyed believe colleges increasingly are operating more like businesses than educational institutions. Sixty percent also agreed colleges could accept more students without raising costs or lowering quality. When asked if colleges could spend less and still maintain a high quality of education, 54 percent of the survey agreed, while 40 percent said the quality would suffer. The results show the country is becoming more skeptical toward the intentions of educational institutions. The same survey reports the general public believe students must borrow too much money, college prices are rising faster than other costs and many qualified students don’t have opportunities to pursue a degree.

Although some of the survey questions bring up many valid points, the survey’s sample only was 1,031 Americans. The sample might be an accurate representation of the way the country feels, but the results need to be critically looked at and carefully analyzed.

Even if the public is skeptical, it doesn’t mean they have a reason to be. People often don’t understand all that goes into running a university on the inside and must remember the current economic climate makes matters even worse. The survey makes it appear as through the public is angry at university officials for taking advantage of students, but there are few indicators that point to that conclusion.

There are many factors that could lead to the conclusion. Costs of maintaining programs are rising as revenue is decreasing in some cases. The colleges need to generate money to keep quality up. Watching colleges cut programs never is enjoyable, but sometimes is a necessary evil to keep schools financially stable. All of these factors are magnified because the schools are receiving less money from the state.

Although it’s not 100 percent certain that all college officials operate with the best of intentions, the conclusion they are out purely for money cannot be made. President Lou Anna K. Simon and Provost Kim Wilcox likely are putting educational quality first. It’s doubtful they look at cutting programs as maliciously as people suspect. Indeed, they are more than likely saddened to disappoint students in order to make ends meet.

It is easy to see why people could be against the university and its actions to save money. Is the university making decisions keeping the students’ best interest in mind? With some cost-cutting actions, it might appear to an uninformed public as though the university doesn’t care about students. But the public should strive for the information about the university’s financial decisions. The public shouldn’t jump to conclusions based on assumptions without being fully informed.

MSU officials could strive to be more transparent in their actions, even though they have done a decent job thus far. They have made it clear the cuts were necessary to keeping the university afloat. The survey should be taken with a grain of salt by both the public at large and the university.