University Business - April 2007 - (Page 15)

DATA P O I N T 37% High-achieving high school students who rated “academic ranking or reputation” as a “most important” factor in selecting a college. —Survey by My College Guide, www.mycollegeguide.org. S TAT S WAT C H Happy Days Are Here Again: State Funding Is on the Rise RARE IS THE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY THAT BENEFITED FROM GEN erous state funding in the first half of this decade. But for the first time since before the September 11 attacks and the dot-com bust of 2001, enough public dollars are flowing into IHE coffers to exceed the effects of booming enrollment growth and inflation. A new report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers, or SHEEO, shows a rebound in constant dollar-per-student state and local funding in 2006. That’s welcome news after such funding hit a 25-year low in 2005. “2001 to 2005 was a very difficult period in many states, and the country as a whole,” says Paul Lingenfelter, SHEEO president. SHEEO’s annual study of state higher education finance found that in 2006, state and local support per full-time-equivalent student hit $6,325, an increase of 5.1 percent FINANCIAL PICTURE of U.S. Public Higher Ed Institutions, over the previous year. As state and local 2001 and 2006 – Funding Dollars funding expanded, enrollment growth steadied after five years of increases total2001 2006 % Change ing 17.9 percent. Educational appropria- Public, Non-Medical FTE $8,879,731 $10,189,752 14.8% tions were most robust in Wyoming and Educational Appropriations per FTE Alaska compared to the national average, $7,371 $6,325 -14.2% while they lagged most in Vermont, New Net Tuition Revenue per FTE Hampshire, and Colorado. $3,045 $3,566 17.1% Whether or not the recent rebound is Total Educational Revenue per FTE the start of a full recovery is unclear. En$10,415 $9,891 -5% rollment growth, tight state budgets, and shifting state priorities could change the financial picture again, the report notes. Lingenfelter believes the key for institutions is to continue honing accountability, efficiency, and quality. “It has been hard, it’s always hard, to absorb new students without additional resources,” he says. “But the best way to maintain the public commitment is to improve what we do, to make it clear that the industry is well-managed and interested in increasing productivity and increasing graduation rates and other areas where we all know we need to do better in serving our students.” For SHEEO’s FY06 report with findings by state, go to www.sheeo.org. —C.M.F Sore Winners? WHEN PRINCETON AGREED TO GIVE BACK $782,375 to the children of a now deceased couple, some might have expected a settlement in what is believed to be the largest donor-intent lawsuit in U.S. history. Instead the plaintiffs in the case say the payment is “too little, too late.” The legal tangle began in 2002, when the children and other principals in the Robertson Foundation charged that Princeton had misspent a gift now valued at $800 million that was given by Charles and Marie Robertson of the A&P supermarket fortune. The Robertsons had given their money to endow the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Their children have claimed that Princeton misused $200 million on programs, research, real estate, and salaries unrelated to the Robertson Foundation charter. Princeton officials said they were refunding the nearly $800,000 to the foundation because of “inadequate disclosure of the agreement to the [foundation’s] board.” A sixpage statement issued by the Robertson Foundation says that Princeton’s explanation for refunding part of the gift is “another shameless act of duplicity.” In its statement, the foundations says that its lawsuit is expected to go to trial later this year. —J.M.A Texting for Dollars IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEone found a way to combine students’ love of texting with their love of free food. Student governments are petitioning their administrators to contract with Mobile Campus, a service that allows local businesses to send exclusive coupons to members via cell phones. “I’ve enjoyed it and I think it’s going to get better,” says Stephen Gosnell, student body president at Clemson University (S.C.). The service launched on his campus in October. So far students have received offers ranging from special apartment rates to oil changes. Students have to sign up for the text messaging service and can choose from a variety of categories, such as health and beauty or food and beverage. Because the students select the categories, they don’t have to worry about spam. Although Gosnell says the text offers from a local tanning salon don’t interest him, he does enjoy receiving messages that offer him free appetizers. —Ann McClure universitybusiness.com April 2007 | 15 http://www.mycollegeguide.org http://www.sheeo.org http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - April 2007

Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Stats Watch
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Admissions
Independent Outlook
On The Hill
Future Shock
Spellings Lessons
Identity Mangaement
Getting A Bigger Picture
Facility Directors Speak Out
Internet Technology
Working the Web
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - April 2007