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Are Lavish Amenities on College Campuses Useful or Frivolous?
Glance through this list of “The 25 Most Amazing College Campus Buildings” from TheBestSchools.org. Notice that some of the institutions are public and some are private, but that all are institutions of higher learning.
What is your reaction to the list? Would you want to attend any of these schools because of the amenities featured? Why or why not?
In “No College Kid Needs a Water Park to Study,” James V. Koch writes:
In a competition to woo students, public universities are increasingly offering lavish amenities that have nothing to do with education.
The latest trend is lazy rivers, which have been installed at several big institutions, including the Universities of Alabama, Iowa and Missouri. Last year, Louisiana State University topped them all with a 536-foot-long “leisure” river in the shape of the letters “LSU,” part of an $85 million renovation and expansion of its gym. It was L.S.U. students who footed the bill.
At a time when college has never been more expensive, this is the last thing students should be paying for. According to the College Board, tuition and fees at public four-year institutions grew more than 60 percent over the past 10 years. State budgets for higher education have been slashed, and students have to make up the difference.
In the case of L.S.U., the lazy river was financed entirely by student fees, an addendum to their annual tuition. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, over the past five years, those fees increased by 60 percent, nearly triple the amount L.S.U. students paid in 2000.
Tuition and fee hikes at public universities don’t come out of nowhere. Each has to be approved by a school’s governing board, whose trustees are typically appointed by the governor. Ensuring affordable, quality education is an essential part of trustees’ responsibility, but unfortunately often not part of their practice.
Trustees of public universities are stewards of a public trust that rests nobly on the notion that an enlightened citizenry is vital to a democratic society. They have a fiduciary duty to represent the citizens and taxpayers who support public institutions of higher education, as well as the students who attend them. But even though the best interests of students and taxpayers revolve around college access, affordability and graduation outcomes, too often presidents and boards are more focused on the rankings, reputation and popularity of the institution itself.
Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:
— Are lavish amenities on college campuses useful or frivolous, in your opinion? Why or why not? What examples can you use to support your answer?
— The author James Koch writes that public universities are increasingly offering amenities that have nothing to do with education and that, “At a time when college has never been more expensive, this is the last thing students should be paying for.” Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
— Who is responsible for containing costs at public educational institutions — the university president, the trustees, the state governor, or some other individual or group? Why did you answer the way you did?
Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
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