Friday, January 27, 2017

Oregon Sen. Peter Courtney wants community colleges and universities to merge - if they want to - Andrew Theen, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Senate President Peter Courtney introduced a controversial bill Monday that would allow Oregon community colleges and public universities to voluntarily merge, a proposal that nobody in higher education circles was clamoring for but Courtney said could potentially mean big savings for cash-strapped students. The legislation would require schools to submit a joint proposal to the state's Higher Education Coordinating Commission outlining the details, timeline and potential cost-savings of the merger. Courtney, a Salem Democrat, said the opportunities for cost savings are obvious. "You have one president. You have one administration. You have serious savings," he said in an interview. http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2017/01/sen_peter_courtney_wants_commu.html