By Phil Gregory, WBGO News
Professors give suggestions to College Affordability Study Commission Professors give suggestions to College Affordability Study Commission
The New Jersey College Affordability Study Commission is getting input from faculty members on how to control the costs of higher education.
Susanna Tardi is a sociology professor at William Paterson University. She says one area to examine is the rampant increase in student fees.
“Today at many colleges fees are widespread and are approaching the level of the tuition.”
Alan Kaufman is an English professor at Bergen County College. He suggests finding ways to reduce the cost of textbooks.
“Increasingly students are not buying the books. They’re loading the books onto their phones and I don’t think this is an optimum situation for their learning.”
Kaufman also recommends cutting back on hiring administrators at community colleges.
“The bloating of administration is responsible for more of the problems with community college affordability than anything else. There are actually colleges now that have larger numbers of administrators than they do full-time faculty members. This is preposterous.”
Patrice Mareschal is a public policy professor at Rutgers Camden. She says colleges could be required to provide more detailed cost breakdowns on websites and term bills.
“This greater transparency would help students and families in the selection of a university and would also give enrolled students and alumni opportunities to question and challenge those costs.”