C-L carries the CoB story - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Feb 10, 2005

C-L carries the CoB story

Date: Feb 10, 2005

"The program is seen as a "very lucrative profit center" for the university, says Southern Miss Provost Jay Grimes. The program would mix traditional classroom sessions with online learning."

"Grimes did not have figures on how much launching the hybrid MBA might cost.?"

How the devil can someone state that a program can be a "very lucrative profit center" if he doesn't know how much it will cost to launch it?

Date: Feb 10, 2005

Are academic programs meant to be "very lucrative profit centers"? I'm not sure which quote from the Grimes letter is more offensive, that one or "research that is of interest to our local and regional customers".

my emphasis

Date: Feb 10, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Let the academics govern
"Are academic programs meant to be "very lucrative profit centers"? I'm not sure which quote from the Grimes letter is more offensive, that one or "research that is of interest to our local and regional customers". my emphasis"

It's all offensive, sad, and worrisome. It sure would be nice just for once to hear a USM administrator talk about academic standards, principles, and the like instead of all this bull$^*@ about "profit centers" and "customers." Why are these people in academia? It makes no sense to me...

Date: Feb 10, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
" It's all offensive, sad, and worrisome. It sure would be nice just for once to hear a USM administrator talk about academic standards, principles, and the like instead of all this bull$^*@ about "profit centers" and "customers." Why are these people in academia? It makes no sense to me... "

They are where they are to pillage the public coffers for their own private gain - everything else is secondary or tertiary.

Date: Feb 10, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"They are where they are to pillage the public coffers for their own private gain - everything else is secondary or tertiary."

In economics, its called rent seeking behavior--manipulating government, using insider connections and the like to make money at the public's expense. Its a lot easier than running a business in the private sector.

Date: Feb 10, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"pillage the public coffers for their own private gain"

My mother was a public employee most of her life. She never went to college but she had a way with words. Her term for what you are describing would have been "drinking from the public trough."

Date: Feb 10, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: not Gordon Tullock
"

In economics, its called rent seeking behavior--manipulating government, using insider connections and the like to make money at the public's expense. Its a lot easier than running a business in the private sector.
"

Exactly. The real Gordon Tullock would have said the same thing.

"Economic development" activity of the S. Thames/A. Dvorak/K. Malone type is rent-seeking.

Making a university into a captive resource for a private company that doesn't have to pay the full price for the services being provided is rent-seeking.

Robert Campbell