Contents
Preface xiii
Introduction 1
Public Higher Education: A Very Brief History 1
The Uncertain State of Public Higher Education 2
The View From State Capitals 3
Pressure to Keep Tuition Low 4
Public vs. Private Tuition Cost Divergence 5
Enrollment Patterns and Demographics: Public vs. Private 6
1. A Brief History of CUNY and Baruch College and Their Enduring Values and Challenges 9
CUNY’s Historic Mission: Making Higher Education Affordable and Accessible 11
The New York City Fiscal Crisis 12
The Failed “Open Admissions” Experiment 14
Chronic State Underfunding of CUNY 15
The Upstate vs. Downstate Problem 17
The Complicated Relationship Between CUNY and Its Constituent Colleges 18
2. The Special Character of Baruch and Its Students 21
The New York City Tapestry 21
Geographic Distribution 24
Social and Economic Mobility 24
Academic Focus 28
International Character 29
Careers After Graduation 30
Nature vs. Nurture? 31
3. How Does Baruch Compare Nationally? 33
Academic Quality 33
Affordability 37
The Geographic Factor 38
An Analysis of PHEIs Comparable to Baruch 38
4. Challenges Facing Baruch and Other Public Higher Education Institutions 43
Political Support for Public Higher Education 43
Addressing the Needs of Students Who Commute and Work 46
Dealing With a Unionized Faculty and Staff 47
Dealing With Severe Space Constraints and Aging Facilities 49
Mobilizing Private Philanthropic Support for a Public Institution 53
5. Indicators of Baruch’s Success 57
Increasing Quality of the Student Body 59
Support for Student Success 60
New Academic Programs and Initiatives 61
Increasing the College’s Endowment 64
Developing More Effective Management Tools to Improve Financial Stability 65
New and Improved Campus Facilities and Outdoor Space 69
Achieving Strong National and Regional Rankings 70
Growing National and International Visibility 71
6. Does Baruch College Have a “Secret Sauce”? 73
Baruch’s Advantageous Position Within the CUNY System 73
Does Baruch Have a “Secret Sauce”? 81
7. Is the Baruch “Model” Sustainable and Replicable? 83
What Explains Baruch’s Academic Success and Financial Stability? 83
Can the Baruch College “Model” Be Replicated Elsewhere? 85
The Future Sustainability of the “Baruch Model” 88
8. Reflections on the Future of Public Higher Education 93
The Challenges Facing Higher Education in General 93
The Growing Public vs. Private Cost Gap 95
Providing an Educated Workforce for the 21st Century 97
Reimagining the U.S. Higher Education System 97
Conclusion 98
Endnotes 101
Index 117
About the Author 121
