a student newspaper of the university of tulsa
r e t Af The reelection of President Obama strikes contrary chords for TU students and faculty. Oscar Ho Victoria McGouran
Staff Writers
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s the rising cost of attending college remains a growing concern for low-to-middle income families, President Barack Obama’s re-election provides a chance for his administration to demonstrate its commitment to higher education. Many students graduating with debt have had difficulty making payment, citing the small job market. The state of the economy and the affordability of a university education have taken priority in the Obama campaign, and they are problems he has pledged to fix if re-elected. Faculty outlook Faculty could gain or lose from Obama’s victory. Privately endowed professorships and research grants subsidized by the federal government could feel the largest impact of educational and economic reform. If funding for education increases, research grants could grow, and if the economy improves, endowments will experience much better performance.
november 12, 2012 issue 11 ~ volume 98
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If Obama does nothing, or if his plans are hampered by House Republicans or unwilling Democrats, funding for education could very well shrink. University of Tulsa professors are hoping that the president will act soon, but are uncertain about what exactly he will do. TU faculty seem to agree that Obama’s plans for tackling the cost of education are vague. “It is not clear what specific policies he will promote or if there will be any major changes from his first term,” said Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a history professor. Besides Obama’s support for the Pell Grant and federal work study, his intentions are left to speculation. Dr. Robert Donaldson, Trustees Professor of Political Science and Director of the Tulsa Committee on Foreign Relations, was not too sure what to expect from Obama’s second term. “Although the president will try to hold education spending at present levels, there may well be cuts in these programs as a result of any deficit reduction deal that he has to make with House Republicans,” Donaldson said. However, Obama might have a
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sense of direction. Both Donaldson and Kuzmarov are expecting the Obama administration to invest in the sciences, especially in green energy and engineering. These measures may help schools to control the cost of college and help the job market at the same time. The president could direct “more federal monies to univer-
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subsidies will likely be a hot-button issue if the Obama administration continues to pursue them. Both professors also expect Obama to use regulation to curb tuition hikes. Donaldson believes the Department of Education will “continue to put pressure on colleges through regulatory measures to justify tuition increases.” With regard to student loans, Kuzmarov said that “he may put more pressure on the big banks to
“Although the president will try to hold education spending at present levels, there may well be cuts in these programs” sities,” Kuzmarov said. “Community colleges will also receive significant money for technical degree and job-retraining programs.” Donaldson agreed, but added that “the main positive impact for students will come from more general measures to stimulate job growth.” However, the president may have a hard time getting green lights for green energy research. Memories of Solyndra, A123 Systems, and other policy embarrassments are still fresh in some people’s minds. Renewable energy
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ensure fairer standards with regard to loans and bring down the interest rates.” Kuzmarov also believes that the president should repurpose federal funding from the prison system and the military. Moving money this way “can lead to a dramatic reduction of tuition costs, ensure an expansion of grant and scholarship opportunities, caps on loans, and lead to an improved quality of education through the hiring of more faculty,” Kuzmarov said. He called attention to the effec-
tiveness of federal subsidies, citing the GI Bill and other parts of the New Deal, saying that such measures led to the wide availability of public education. However, he was cautiously optimistic when he suggested that a similar effort at education could be made again. “It will require large-scale student organization and pressure on the administration ‘from below,’ ” he said. The University of Tulsa, as a private non-profit institution, does not comment on political developments. TU President Steadman Upham also declined to provide his opinion on Vision 2, which would have contributed $4.3 million to the forthcoming Tulsa School of Community Medicine. Upham and TU’s administration have been quite clear in their approach to the economic downturn. This year, the administration has stressed endowment growth and conservative fiscal strategies to support faculty and student financial aid. Student reactions The student population at TU seems to be divided on what to expect from four more years of Obama’s administration. Those who were disenchanted by Obama’s re-election did not like his handling of the economy. Some believe the president’s economic policies might drive up the cost of a college education.
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