A Peek Into the Future

The extremity of its evil had passed beyond all struggle into some state
which bore a horrible similarity to innocence."

--Perelandra, C. S Lewis

Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people
who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm
--but the harm does not interest them.

Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed
in the endless struggle to think well of themselves

--T. S. Eliot

________

As goes our humble hometown state university, so the rest of the nation.

"Florida State University President T.K. Wetherell announced today that FSU will freeze enrollment and take aggressive steps to stabilize its budget in the face of declining state revenues, chronic under-funding of enrollment growth, the unknown consequences of tax reform, and a vetoed tuition increase.

"The bottom line: Getting admitted to FSU just got a lot tougher" (FSU Freezes Enrollment, Tightens Budget.)

The good news is, we're trying to export this sort of thing to Iraq. The bad news again is, I don't think that means we unburden ourselves of the problem. We just pass it on down the line, as the C & W song says.

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently ran a dispiriting bit about the shutting off of university access to Iraqi students ("Iraq's Universities Near Collapse.") And here at home,

"We've got a revenue crisis looming in this state that's going to affect students today and tomorrow," Wetherell said. "

"We're headed toward a budget crisis that inevitably will cut access to public higher education in this state. We are talking about a serious threat to quality if we continue to under-fund the universities."

In 2006-07, FSU enrolled 6,328 freshmen, 1,000 of whom were unfunded. "Something's got to give," Wetherell said.

"Current students will find reduced hours for student computing labs and reduced library hours, as well as increased fees for some services such as smart cards and transcripts."

"Faculty will increase their teaching load. Some maintenance and repairs will be deferred. While making these budget cuts, FSU will take pains to adhere to certain principles, Wetherell said."

"We will ensure the safety and security of students. . .and we will safeguard the financial integrity of the university."

I had to smile when I read the "certain principles" bit. It is so reminiscent of the way things are tun in our current administration. The safety and security of certain students above others, and that mainly to avoid lawsuits over negligence (="safeguarding financial integrity.")

Not that long ago, I recall the humanities and languages division suffered asbestos floor and ceiling tiles, peeling paint and chipping plaster from walls. The priority at that time was the development of the Supercomputer/Mag Lab, and all things science and technology, for that is the way to make big bucks today. Oh, and I imagine the ROTC program will always have a home there, too.

"Overall, this under-funding means sacrificing access, Wetherell said.

"That's going to close our doors to a lot of promising students. Well-qualified students who we would ordinarily welcome to FSU will receive rejection letters. They worked hard; they studied hard; they served their communities; they did everything right, but there still won't be room for them. And we will all be the worse for it.

"But without the necessary funding, our universities will fall behind, and we will have failed them."

--by Lisa