Higher education?
I don’t normally check out Crain’s Cleveland Business but this article shook me : Urban centers to lose CSU Support
During my time studing at CSU, I worked in the Center for Neighborhood Development (I just had to disclose that). The urban research that Levin turned out shows how cities in general (and Cleveland in particular) are working (or not working) and how we can come up with tangible solutions to push cities in the right direction. To be totally objective and to be able to discover all of the answers of the conundrum of urban life, you need to be funded independently. Unfortunately, CSU does not see it the same way:
The centers will lose their university financial support and will be expected to support themselves entirely through the research and consulting services they offer nonprofit groups and governments on a fee-for-service basis.
Isn’t this the kind of money we need to spend? I don’t mind state money or tuition money going to these centers. They export valuable knowledge and import prestige to a otherwise nondescript urban university. No matter how much new construction is undertaken, it doesn’t matter at all unless something of value is being taught and/or researched in those buildings.
Why do I believe that this could spell the end of some, if not all,
One word. Politics.
The centers will have to rely on the entrenched foundations, cities and other entities to pay consulting fees. Do you really think that they will pay for news they don’t want to hear? Do you think that they will pay for thorough research into the good AND the bad of a city? No, because politicians don’t want to lose their jobs and foundations don’t want to lose face.
Horrible move, CSU.
In the words of the immortal Negro poet, Charles Barkley, it’s terrible!