By Coffey Zhang, Campus Representative, University of Wisconsin
Recently, the Texas A&M University system implanted a new accountability program in which a professor’s revenue is calculated by summing the outside grants and the tuition revenue. Zero value is given to unfunded research or any publications. Sadly, as the article writes:
“University administrators facing these incentives would have every reason to construct a faculty of grant-hustlers and low-paid teachers”
The exclusion of unfunded research and publications is definitely a big mistake as far as I concerned. The existence of the professors is to make education more available for college students, so at least a large portion of the revenue should tie directly to how their work has impacted the students at large. While the good and experienced professors thrive to conduct research on the current economy and spend tremendous amount of time writing research papers by providing valuable statements for the understanding of the students, we are influenced by the way they think. Thus, those should be included in the profit.
Furthermore, due to the worst recession we are experiencing within these 50 years, outside financing is not as sufficient compare to that of a few years ago. In order to keep the same level of revenue every year based on the equation (Revenue = Tuition + Outside grant), does that mean that the university tuition will increase year after year to subside for the off-balance revenue?
Overall, the lack of attention to the indirect sourcing such as unfunded research as well as publications will hinder the development of the colleges as a whole. Thus, more sources should be accounted for as revenue, especially those that will impact the college students.
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