No simple solution to universities’ budget woes - Matthew Cameron, editor of the Univ of Virginia Cavalier

Those mobilizing to oppose cutbacks and tuition increases at public universities continue to misdirect their anger toward administrators and regents rather than toward state and national politicians. Although activists are right to point out that administrators and board members at some public institutions are sitting on large endowments, a substantial portion — about 70 percent at the University of Virginia — of those funds is restricted to specific purposes. Using endowment money to prevent tuition hikes or academic cutbacks is not a long-term solution. Instead, it is necessary to attack the root causes of the growing expense of higher education and the so-called “privatization” of public universities. In Virginia, this means asking state politicians how they can justify reducing higher education funding when the state income tax has not been raised since 1972.