Colleges Bite the Bullet

Could the global economic crisis actually force the nation’s colleges and universities to rethink their priorities?

The Wall Street Journal’s Eric Gibson noted, after a recent tour of campuses, that today’s student life resembles something like the Court at Versailles. “One college tour guide proudly informed us that upon arrival every freshman is issued a brand-new laptop. Even students who already have one? ‘Why yes,’ the guide replied.”

The lavish school menus cater to every ethnicity, food group and taste… And it doesn’t take long to realize that maintaining this upscale lifestyle requires “higher taxes,” which Gibson says is the reason for all those tuition hikes. “Not even the actual government is that brazen,” he said.

However, because of the economic crunch, the pendulum has finally started to swing the other way. In fact, there has been a sharp increase in applications to state schools during the past few months.

Colorado College President Richard Celeste summed up the current situation, saying that “several years ago, we started thinking about sustainability in environmental terms,” adding that “now we need to be thinking about sustainability in economic terms.”

Deborah Lambert writes the Squeaky Chalk column for Accuracy in Academia.

Deborah Lambert