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Lee discusses fiscal responsibility in higher ed

By Kimmi Baston managing Editor 4 min read
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University President Douglas G. Lee addressed local and nationwide issues in higher education costs and deregulation at his Monday press conference.

Lee said government regulations affect the university each day, and it is important to assess whether they are more beneficial or costly.

“It is significant, because we at Waynesburg really do deal with government regulation,” said Lee. “There’s a real cost for keeping up with that.”

A task force on higher education recently provided a lengthy report to the United States Congress examining the costs of higher education and the dangers it might pose.

After the mortgage-debt-induced recession several years ago, there are predictions that a similar catastrophe in the higher education bubble may occur based on the amount of student loan debt in the nation.

“Student loan debt is the highest it’s ever been in our country’s history,” said Lee.

He pointed out the national student loan default rate is 15 percent. At Waynesburg, the student loan default rate is less that four percent.

“Part of it is in the administration of the money,” said Lee. “We are being good stewards when it comes to loan default rates.”

Lee also described the costs associated with adhering to the Clery Act.

While Lee approves of the foundation of the act, which reports to students all crime incidents in the area of their college, he said the logistics of reporting these statistics can have a steep price tag.

“That cost affects the price of you all paying to come to WU,” said Lee. “That is why it’s good to see Congress looking into this.”

Lee also discussed Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolfe’s new budget proposal, which will increase the higher education budget by more than $1.7 billion. The vast majority of the additional allocation will be distributed among state schools. Private colleges and universities will only be affected by the portion of the fund given to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

In other areas, budgetary issues like this have begun forcing private colleges and universities to close their doors.

Most recently, Sweet Briar College in Virginia announced earlier this spring that it will discontinue its operations at the end of the academic year. Lee believes that no such fate will befall Waynesburg, largely due to the institution’s dedication to its mission.

“Commitment to our founding mission really is significant because that is a sense of identity, and there are a group of people out there in this world that will see that mission and want to be a part of it,” said Lee. “If we remain faithful to the mission, there will be places like Waynesburg that will always have a role in our society.”

Beyond that, Lee said he has dedicated himself to preserving the current state of the university.

“My job as president is to make sure that, despite predictions that there will be a number of private [universities] going out of business in the next 20 years, that we aren’t one of them,” said Lee. “As long as I’m alive and have breath I’ll do my very best to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Lee wrapped up the conference by reminding those in attendance of the proven value in private higher education institutions: from state related schools, 49 percent of entering freshman graduate in four years, and at state system schools, 35 percent do so. At independent colleges and universities, that number is 65 percent.

Funding is an ongoing concern and battle that won’t end soon, and while Lee acquiesces that Waynesburg is affected by government budgetary regulations, he believes it’s possible to continue straight ahead on the current path if government regulations can be altered.

“As we look at all of this, we need to make sure the government is being an effective steward of the funds it is given,” said Lee.

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