"I doubt whether college presidents anticipated, generations ago, that multimillion-dollar coaching contracts would stand in stark contrast to academic facilities in desperate need of renovation and repair. I wonder if they could have intuited that faculty salaries in certain academic areas, such as business and computer science, would be dramatically higher than in others. In short, would they have foreseen the impact of market forces on an institution's ability to prioritize where budgets and fund-raising efforts are concerned?
Perhaps you believe, as I do, that we demonstrate our priorities through our allocation of funds. Lexmark, for example, allocates a meaningful portion of its annual budget to research and development because the investment today will allow the company to remain competitive tomorrow. Mayor Newberry's budget provides incentives for urban infill and redevelopment because he realizes that wise use of our region's land is essential to our community's identity and long-term health. My own office's annual budget allows for campus visits and continuing professional education because of the benefit to my students. The budget in your workplace reflects your priorities, or your employer's, just as expenditures you make at home do, at least in a rough fashion. Think about where most of your dollars go, particularly where major expenses are concerned, and you will find a good example of your priorities at work.
In this same manner, colleges and universities demonstrate what's important through their budgets and expenditures. Departments in favor, or sometimes those too long neglected, may receive a budget boost for additional faculty hiring, renovation of facilities, student fellowships and more. In extreme cases, enormous sums may be budgeted for star hires and their programs, whether academic or athletic, as we've seen in local headlines. At the same time, departments deemed to be in reasonable shape, or those deemed to be of less importance in the overall picture of the institution, may barely receive inflationary increases from one year to the next. Sometimes departmental budgets are cut, or departments may be eliminated altogether, in order to reallocate funds and realign curricula and programming with student interests.
You can bet that this process does not happen simply or smoothly. Department chairs roll up their sleeves in anticipation of protecting or expanding their part of the turf. At the same time, administrators with a bird's-eye view of the entire institution must look beyond individual departments' needs and wishes and think about each department's contribution to the institution's overall mission. Pressures may exist to beef up certain areas because of increased student demand. Major donors may be willing to fund certain enterprises and not others. Public institutions must work within the parameters granted by state legislatures. Faculty salaries may not be sufficiently competitive in a national marketplace to enable the institution to hire and retain those it most wants. More dollars may be needed for student financial assistance, or perhaps it's time to give an admission office more funding so more ambitious recruiting efforts can take flight.
So what are we to make of all this? Why should it be meaningful to students, whether enrolled or prospective, if a coach earns far more than a college or university president, or if certain academic programs are funded more generously than others, or if faculty salaries are held to no more than an inflationary increase?
Let's say your child is a high school junior in the early stages of her college search. She may not have identified the field she will major in yet, but she surely has some general interests to consider. By looking carefully at depth of faculty, strength of facilities and breadth of course offerings in areas that interest her most, you will start to gain a sense of the level of support these departments enjoy. As you explore what different colleges offer, you'll begin to see that an English department, for example, is not the same on every campus. A department flush with funding looks and feels quite different from a department struggling to meet daily needs, stretched to serve the students enrolled in its courses.
On the non-academic front, you will also see that some campuses are pouring resources into hotel-like residence halls and lavish student centers that keep students happy and comfortable. What a great plus these facilities are, particularly when they accompany a strong academic enterprise! It's hard not to be blinded by beauty, but look deep enough to determine whether the core functions of the institution are being funded as comfortably. Understand each campus's priorities, and consider whether they align with your own.
This challenge of identifying your family's priorities is an important part of the college search process. Prospective and enrolled students, and their parents, present a market force in their own right. By applying to certain colleges, and then making enrollment decisions, students are validating priorities these colleges have set. Be sure you are doing so with open eyes.
Jane S. Shropshire guides students and families through the college search process, drawing on over a decade of college admission experience. Send questions or suggestions to JShrop@att.net or visit Shropshire Educational Consulting, LLC at www.ShropEd.net.