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| defyexpectations |
After eleven years of service, Mary Sue Coleman has announce that she is stepping down as U of M's leader, effective July 2014. Coleman, 69, is Michigan's 13th president and the first women to hold that position. She came to Michigan from the University of Iowa and built a reputation as an exceptional ambassador and aggressive fundraiser. She is among the five highest paid public university presidents and, unsurprisingly, is also ranked as one of the best.
Over $3 billion was raised under her campaign The Michigan Difference, which helped to attract the best talent and fund building developments across campus.
Here's an incomplete roundup of stories following her decision:
Nicely done. I wouldn't have bothered with this bit of news had you not laid it out for me.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, I think we're due for a reading list.
I haven't had much time to read in recent weeks/months due to all kinds of things going on. I have read a few things, but not much that I've truly enjoyed. That being said, I do have a few books to discuss...but it won't be an impressive list. I've already started drafting it.
DeleteShe was one of the absolute worst! Good riddance!! Please post the rate of tuition increase during her regime!
ReplyDeleteYou'll probably find the link "rising tuition" interesting. It includes some numbers on that.
DeleteAre you joking? How DARE you blame the rise of tuition on Mary Sue, and how dare you say she was one of the worst when the university has seen so much expansion and increase in research budget during her tenure? If you hadn't noticed, tuition is out of control across basically ALL universities, so I guess there's no such thing as a good university president in your eyes.
DeleteOh I DARE, I DARE indeed!!! She never stood up against the unions who are the primary cause of the over the top tuition increases. Students struggle to pay tuition, racking up loans that will take them years to pay off. All to fleece the pockets of the unions!! I again say GOOD RIDDANCE!!
DeleteNot to mention community colleges, trade schools, private high schools, for profit entities. You can't pin that one on Mary Sue.
DeleteIf you want to know why tuition went up, look at Lansing. Seniors and students took the hit to lower the Michigan Business Tax. Not being political, just facts man.
DeleteI have to agree with BlastBeat88. It is silly to call Coleman "one of the absolute worst" based on the fact that tuition rose. Tuition, really, has risen astronomically across the country, from community colleges to major universities. My local school, UCLA, used to be really affordable for in-state students. Now, forget about it. You are talking, with all the fees included, $25,000, and that is if you live with your parents (for res hall/off-campus, it is closer to $30,000). For out of state for UCLA, try around $50,000. Michigan is in the same neighborhood as UCLA. When I went to U of M, as an out of state student, tuition + room/board/fees, I paid about $25,000, granted, I graduated in 2000. Cal State, not a bad uni but not on par with UCLA (more of a second-tier school), is about $18,000 for in-state, and that is if you live with parents. All in all, schools are getting more expensive and putting the blame on the uni president is a tad silly.
ReplyDeleteNice that you rolled over and took it, well then...you're also part of the problem!
DeleteMe....I'm bloody mad and I'm fighting back!!!
Gordon G, judging by Google+, you're a Tea Partier. Mary Sue was heavily responsible for cutting the university's state support reliance in half (17% down from 35%). This means that Michigan is now costing taxpayers a whole lot less than before Mary Sue. You of all people should be happy. On the other hand, people the Tea Party doesn't like are incapable of doing anything right in their eyes. Sorry if this is too political, Magnus.
DeleteThe reduction in in state support was forced on the University and thus Coleman by the financially strapped state of Michigan despite her best efforts, along with those of the administrations of all of the state's public universities, most notably MSU and Wayne who banded together with Coleman and U of M to get theirs via a designation exception for being a "research university" which would enable these three universities to maintain their state funding at then current levels.
DeleteThat particular episode of her career represents her one of her most notable missteps and was the one of few black eyes she brought on the University during her career.
You're both ridiculous and need to STFU.
"Few Black Eyes"....how about when she signed the letter urging lawmakers to enact tougher gun laws.
DeleteYeah, are real gem Mary Sue was, make sure the criminals have weapons but not lawful citizens!
Roanman has a high opinion of himself I see....not shared by others!
Not quite sure how you plan on fighting rising tuition/fees Gordon G. Perhaps you can move to Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and get your higher ed for free. In the U.S., as the current situation stands, you do not have much choice. You can go the community college route, or trade school route, and then transfer to a 4-year state uni (a smaller one, i.e. Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan) for your junior/senior years; that would probably be the most economical route. And if you want to go to professional school, especially in the case of law school and business school, you have to bite the bullet and go to the best, even if it costs $$$. Personally, I don't think law school and business school is the wisest career route at the moment (as many MBAs and JDs are temping or doing something else because of a lack of jobs) but if you do want to go the law route, and your choices are between a respectable and less expensive school like Indiana University and UPenn, I would advise biting the financial bullet and going to UPenn (even though it will cost you $60K more) unless you plan to stay in Indiana. Decent grades from a BIG name like UPenn will open a lot more doors in a lot more places.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel that tuition/fees at most universities in the U.S. are absurd, and I would be super happy if, like most other countries around the world, higher education (at least the bachelor's degree) in the U.S. was provided for free, but, alas, that is not the case. Higher ed. is very much an investment. What you put in, $$$ wise and study wise, is what you'll get out. You invest in a good program and work hard, you'll likely find a decent job (what happens after that depends on how hard you work at your job). Not saying that is that case for everyone (one of my high school buddies dropped out of a community college, started his own company, has about a 100 employees, and makes more $$$ than your average doctor, lawyer, etc.) but, generally speaking, you have to fork over the dough and invest in a solid degree to have a chance at a good job.
Actually, a big problem with higher education today is that the vast majority of college graduates are getting hired for jobs that don't see a financial payout compared to the debt accrued getting the education. It's difficult to get a job in the US today and young people strapped with tens of thousands of dollars in debt (like myself) will take jobs that don't pay what they're worth because it's a job. I have two engineering degrees from M and it took me a year to even get an interview.
DeleteFurthermore, universities are starting to sue students who don't pay back their loans quickly enough, so going into debt to attend college now carries legal risks as well. The bubble will burst soon; college attendance will plummet in the near future.