By Michael J. Bugeja on The Chronicle, May 29 –
In the past year, public colleges and universities across the country have been shrinking degree programs and terminating personnel—including tenured professors—in an effort to cope with budget cuts in higher education.
The situation is not confined to a handful of mismanaged public institutions, as in the past. It is a national phenomenon and the inevitable outcome of three trends that have been incubating now for a decade: expanding curricula, reduced legislative support, and increased student debt.