President Glassner weighs in on the challenges of privatization
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As governments repeatedly cut their funding of higher education, university leaders are looking for alternative solutions. One often on the table? Privatization.
President Barry Glassner teamed up with Northwestern University president Morton Schapiro for a guest opinion in the Times of London’s higher education section, delving into why “going private” isn’t the panacea one might think.
Together, Glassner and Schapiro tackle tuition fees, government and corporate support for research, income generated by technological transfer, smarter use of the campus estate, and philanthropy, touching on why each source of income is complex.
“The truth is that replacing government funding hasn’t been an easy task in the U.S.,” Glassner and Schapiro write. “With small steps, it is possible to work to change revenue streams. But in the meantime, don’t stop lobbying for state support. And take it from us: merely wishing for the ‘good ole days’ doesn’t bring them back.”
