Failing Grade Oregon's Higher Education System Goes Begging

by Sarasohn, David

• ISBN13: 9780982569177
• ISBN10: 0982569173
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-12-01
• Publisher: New Oregon Publishers

Summary

Failing Grade: Oregon’s Higher Education System Goes Begging is a collection of two decades of witty but hard-hitting articles by the Oregonian’s chief political columnist, David Sarasohn. The columns track 20 years of cuts in funding by the Oregon legislature for Oregon’s higher educational institutions, and the concomitant dramatic decline in their quality. The appalling statistics, dismal firsthand accounts of student experiences and alarming comparisons with the achievements of nearby states are enough to shock the Oregon public and spur its state legislature into immediate, remedial action — or so the author and his publishers hope.

Author Biography

David Sarasohn has been making fun of politicians for the Oregonian since 1983. In 2008, Sarasohn was a finalist in commentary in the American Society of Newspaper Editors contest, and his work is included in Best Newspaper Writing, 2008-2009. His columns have twice won first-place awards in the Best of the West contest, and he won the 2002 Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial Writers. He has written two books, and his articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Harper's and the Nation.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 1
Introduction	p. 7
Preface	p. 15
State System Sinking in '90s	p. 25
Higher Education Heading Even Lower	p. 33
In Higher-Ed Playoff, Oregon's Trailing	p. 35
Oregon Studying to Be a Sidekick State	p. 39
Rising Students for Sinking Colleges	p. 43
An Address to the 1992 Escapees	p. 43
Higher Education Quietly Getting Lower	p. 51
"It'll Be Like a T-Shirt That Says USSR"	p. 54
Washington Invests	p. 57
On Higher Ed, Not Quite High Enough	p. 60
U of O President Won't Duck the Future	p. 63
Portland State Ventures into Portland	p. 66
Oregon's Rising Role: Collegiate Colony	p. 69
State Colleges: Onward and Downward	p. 72
The Future Is Exciting-Next Door	p. 75
Llamas Carry the Load for Higher Ed	p. 78
Higher Ed: A Motto to Match Its Money	p. 81
Oregon Offers Breaks Instead of Brains	p. 84
The Eyes of Texas Are on Research	p. 87
Starved Colleges Turn on Each Other	p. 90
A Prayer, and a Wing, for Higher Ed	p. 93
Oregon Higher Ed: Last Known Address	p. 96
Higher Ed: Washington's Got a Secret	p. 99
Billing Our Children	p. 102
Viking Queen Sets Sail	p. 107
Degrees of Deeper Debt	p. 110
Irate PSU Alumni Report	p. 113
Making a University	p. 116
The Future Is Sighted Elsewhere: Newsweek's Hottest Tech Cities All Boast Higher-Ed Engines-and Guess Who Didn't Qualify	p. 119
Market Rises for Faculty, Not Oregon	p. 122
Trying to Catch Up with Old Wash Tech	p. 127
Again Oregon Tries the Old College Trash	p. 130
Salem Needs Some Higher Education	p. 133
World-Class Universities, Discounted	p. 136
Oregon's Newest Varsity Letter Is an F	p. 139
Oregon's Idea of a Research University	p. 142
Education Funding: At Least We Should Savor Oregon's Comic Aspects	p. 145
The Legislature: On Higher Ed, No Reasonable Offer Received	p. 150
School Systems Worlds Apart: Standing on the Wrong Side of the Entrance to the Future	p. 153
Oregon's Universities: In Politics, Higher Ed Rarely Comes Up, As It Goes Down	p. 156
An Assignment for Higher Ed	p. 159
Knowledge Is Power: Oregon Sees the Light	p. 164
Funding Higher Ed: Universities Find a Cheerleader, Still Need a Victory	p. 168
Losing by Degrees-On Higher-Ed Board, Francesconi Faces Another F	p. 171
Higher Education: How Dumb Can We Get When It Comes to Cutting Budget?	p. 174
Oregon's Colleges: Lincoln Hall's Leaky Roof Is Metaphor for Higher Ed	p. 177
Higher Education: Budget As If the Future Were Coming	p. 180
Oregon Universities: Bernstine's Exit Underscores the Erosion in Higher Education	p. 184
Subtracting Higher Ed	p. 187
Higher Education: Legislature to Students: Let Them Eat Cake (or Cookies)	p. 190
Higher Ed: If You Build It, They'll Help Pay the Bill	p. 194
Community College Funding: Lower-Income Kids' Access to Higher Ed Sinking	p. 198
Higher Education: We're Losing the Tony Trans As Oregon's Universities Spiral Down	p. 202
Higher Ed's Tsunami	p. 206
Higher Education: Recruiting Difficulties Reflect the Sorry State of Oregon's Colleges	p. 210
It's a Wrap	p. 213
On a Shuttered Library, Words of Caution for Higher Ed	p. 217
U.S. News Numbers: Rankings of the Oregon Universities Not Classy	p. 221
The Key College Ranking: How Many Make It to College Oregon Education	p. 224
Investment for a Future: Commitment to Higher Ed Takes Sharp Bounces	p. 227
Investing in Education and Community: Public-Private Partnerships Could Help Portland Students	p. 230
Education: Oregon Could Learn from the Celtic Tiger	p. 235
Presidential Politics: Clinton Gets It: Kids Need Access to College	p. 239
E-Board Education: Facing Another Lowering of Higher Ed	p. 244
Thinking Big For Oregon: Save the Future	p. 247
Emerald Opportunity: Oregon Higher Ed Has Reason to Get Its Irish Up	p. 251
College Track: Marathon Run for Education	p. 254
Higher Education: A Quick Way to Connect Jobs to Relief and a Route to the Future	p. 257
Higher-Ed Funding: Federal Investment at College Level Needed	p. 260
Financial Aid: College Students' Next Lesson: Bad Economics	p. 263
Higher Education: When Two Trends Collide on Campus Heading Toward a Collision Course	p. 266
The Universities' Budget: In Beaver State, Higher Ed Plucked Like a Turkey	p. 269
Experience Corps: With Kids, It Turns Out Experience Does Count	p. 272
Farewell to Frohnmayer: UO's Departing Chief Fought Funding Crises	p. 275
Higher Ed's Week: For Students: More Help, Higher Hurdles	p. 278
Public Corporations: In Colleges, Rearranging Can't Avoid Refinancing	p. 281
Building a Bridge to College: Offering Portland Kids a Life after High School	p. 284
Globe is Gaining: Higher Ed Cuts True Madness of This March	p. 287
Oregon Governor's Race: Higher-Ed (Gasp!) Gets Campaign TV Time	p. 290
Resetting Expectations: Recognize the Realities of Reset-and Its Cost	p. 293
Escaping The Legislature: Flexibility for Higher Ed, and Maybe Some Help	p. 296
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