ContentsPage
Executive Summary 3
Introduction 4
Discussion 4
Conclusion 7
References 10
Executive Summary
Quality education is not always equals to a higher budget. This kind of education can be achieved by maximizing the readily available resources and optimizing human resource skills, and using modern technology at human advantage. When environment and human resources, and modern technology are properly used, an excellent quality of education is possible without the fear of workers’ strike and student protests.
This study wants to present a possibility of a cost less quality education among the leaders and administrators of St. Vincent Community College. It is a possibility which can propel the progress of the school which can benefit its students with an average population of 1000 per semester.
Budget cuts for public schools is inevitable because the budget for this is designed at the national level. It has been a trend in the past years that the education sector is among those that have lesser budget. It is then a challenge for community college to adapt in a way that quality of education will not be sacrificed. On the other hand, it is also observed that there is an overspending in some aspects of budget categories which are not really the primary needs of students. To cite one example, Coleman, P., Walker, R., & Lawrence, L. in a study mentioned that there are time and resources spent outside the learning hours of students. If these resources can be slashed then time can be spent to give way for quality education and budget can be saved for more important activities.
In the situation where budget cuts for college education is inevitable, schools can still function and it can avoid closing like what has happened to many public schools as a result of cutting the budget for college education at a national scale.
Introduction
Education is one of the basic rights of a human being. It is unacceptable to for anybody to be deprived of such a right because of the issue of affordability especially for college education. The federal state however has been cutting budget for for public schools causing public colleges and universities to close. As a result, students are forced to enroll in private universities with higher tuition. The effects of budget cuts which is always shouldered by parents blurs the possible positive impacts of having a cost-less but quality education. The education sector always see budget cuts as a curtailment of the accessibility of education but they are oblivious of the fact that best education can be served with minimal budgets.
Discussion
Coleman, P., Walker, R., & Lawrence, L. in their study entitled “The pros and cons of education budget cuts: An investigative study” mentioned that 3 weeks of the students are spent by preparing them for the required tests. 3 weeks are lost just to align students with the required tests. This time could have been used for more meaningful activities of learning.
Paperless university
There are also things in schools that can be minimized in order to save resources. The unnecessary expense on paper can be slashed. College students today are techno savvy. All of them have the access to internet and have the means to read handouts in electronic copy. Exams can be conducted with the help of computers. Data are stored not in piles of files because there are already a lot soft wares for storing data. Imagine how much resources can be saved by going paper less. A huge amount of the administrative budget can be saved and the school can help in saving the environment by a lesser carbon foot print. Coleman, P., Walker, R., & Lawrence, L. mentioned, “the saving of paper and more prominent usage of computers also impacts students on a different level. Since we are at the rapidly growing era of information technology, known as Moore’s Law, the usage of computers will become more necessary” (4). The aforementioned authors moreover mentioned that through optimizing the use of technology, educators can find innovative ways of teaching since the education sector is trying to find ways for effective but cheaper strategies of teaching.
Ngim, R. (2013) in an article mentioned that Yale University is going paperless to save huge amount of money. In Yale’s estimate, the university has spent 211,033 paper reams in 2011 alone. Aside from this, the budget for ink and printers are twice the amount of the paper. For paper expenses alone, Yale has spent US$680,000. Outside the amount is the cost of toner which is twice the amount of paper. With the staggering expenses, Yale has decided to implement a paperless system. For transactions where paper is inevitable, the school has drafted a system in order to minimize the paper use. With this experience, paperless universities can save resources to augment other primary needs for students.
As college students, there is also a need to review the curriculum to avoid unnecessary subjects that are not really needed by all students. For example, the gym class that is implemented across all courses is an additional expense. The courses that do not need gym class in completion of their subject requirements should be considered. The time allotted for this subject should be used wisely. Also, the salary of teachers who have loads for this kind of subjects will be lessened. In one article posted in the Huffington Post, Miller (2014) supported the slashing of the gym class even in primary schools because it does not have any contribution in developing the intellectual capacity of a student. Also, gym class he said are only promoting bullying because those who have stronger physique are given the capacity to boast and discriminate those who are physically frail students.
Incentives rather than pressure
One of the problem areas of cutting education budget is the low job satisfaction of teachers. This is usually driven by more stress because of added number of students in their class. Resmovits (2013) mentioned that in 2012, the job satisfaction of teachers has went down because of bigger class sizes and frequent performance evaluation. In a cost less education technique, salary of teachers will not decrease and class sizes will not grow. There are many ways to avoid laying off teachers and crowding a classrooms. The paperless techniques as mentioned above can augment the hiring of teachers outside the budget that the federal government allocates. In an estimate, St. Vincent Community College can save up to US$400,000 a year for being paperless. That amount is not small to fund more teachers. More teachers means lesser students in a classroom which can give way for more student-teacher interactions that propels learning.
On the other hand, teachers should be allowed to explore and innovate techniques on how to teach meaningfully with cheaper costs. Teachers who can innovate effective techniques should be given incentives. This is also a way of giving them recognition for their hard work instead of pressuring them with performance evaluation. This technique can help the teachers uplift their job fulfillment. If teachers feel that their creativity are appreciated, they are able to work in quality. This will then uplift the degrading quality of education which is rampant in the United States because of frequent budget cuts.
Redefining School Representations
Meanwhile, there are representations that requires the school to spend. This should be taken into consideration. If the activities are helpful for the growth of teachers and student capacities, then there is no question for the school to spend for it. However, there are activities that are not relevant for education growth like assemblies of several clubs. In cases like this, the school shall not allow teachers and students to participate especially if it hinders the class activities. Most of the time should be spent in class.
Coping with the 21st century education
Heller (2012) said in his article that technology has so many advantages to which universities should cope. The problem of higher education in the United States is the sky rocketing loans after they graduate. Some students have racked up to million dollars of loans when they graduate and once they graduate, their courses are not applicable in the present landscape. They again enroll a second course or earn a graduate to post graduate degrees just to land for a good job. Silver linings are however appearing because Indiana University has innovated curriculum of degrees with an aim at lowering education costs. The birth of massive open online courses (MOOC) is one of the innovations that can be maximize in the midst of budget cuts. If the Indiana University can cope with the advancing technology and use it for their advantage, St. Vincent Community College can also do it especially that education budget cuts is a reality that the education sector cannot avoid.
Conclusion
Higher education is an inalienable right of every citizen. This can be achieved through endless innovations despite the frequent budget cuts. At the end of the day, it is not healthy for a school to provide spend above its budget limit. Innovations can help the St. Vincent Community College to become resilient despite meager budget. Being resilient despite difficult situation will produce quality graduates who are not reliant only on student loans and mercy from the federal government.
Being paperless is one of the vision of many universities in the United States but only few have already tried it. This is not only an issue of helping the environment but it is a huge step at saving resources. A higher education institution use loads of papers and inks daily for student requirements, administrative transactions and others. If St. Vincent Community College will go paperless, it can augment a huge portion of its needs. Looking at the experience of the Yale University which can more than a million dollars annually for cutting the use of papers and inks, it is a promising project to pursue especially that students are all techno savvy nowadays. It is promising then to set up an online enrollment system, computer generated examinations, electronic copies of modules and other readings. These and many others can be transformed into electronic. With this, the need for printers, copiers, inks, and papers will be slashed.
St. Vincent Community College will become a reputable institution if it can offer an environment where teachers will not be pressured with periodic performance evaluations. Rather, it will implement an incentive based performance. This will also give a venue for teachers to be more innovative of teaching. They will learn how not to rely on budget just to give a quality education. It will also mold the teachers into service oriented rather than a mere instructor who just deliver their lessons mechanically. The presence of challenge where they are to find innovative ways to teach in an environment with lesser budgets. In this technique teachers’ motivation will be geared towards formulating a quality yet inexpensive teaching methodologies.
In this 21st century, there are already a lot of competitions in terms of where to get a degree. This competition is brought about by the sky rocketing tuition and other fees. Today, students are exploring where to enroll to get a degree useful in the 21st century. Online and cheaper courses are offered everywhere. The techno savvy generation is not already interested with the bookish and traditional way of education. They are finding ways to acquire higher education degrees while doing other things. Online courses are then offered like in the Indiana University. These online courses are even cheaper than what they are offering in the traditional schools.
Coping with the new generation of students is imperative not only to St. Vincent Community College but to all schools. Online courses can cater to more students but the school will only consume little resources for it. It is a way of income generation but at the same time, it can serve to more population. St. Vincent Community College shall not remain in the edge of performing higher education institutions. It must raise the bar of being a resilient, cost effective school.
References
Coleman, P., Walker, R., & Lawrence, L. “Pros and Cons of Education Budget Cuts: An Investigative Study.” Research in Higher Education Journal.
Heller, D. (2012). “American universities represent declining value for money to their students.” The Economist. Retrieved from
http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21567373-american-universities-represent-declining-value-money-their-students-not-what-it
Miller, G. (2014). “I Support Slashing our Schools’ Gym Budget.” Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/galantymiller/isupportslashingoursc_b_5946266.html
Ngim, R. (2013). “Yale to go Paperless to Save Money, Time, and Trees.” Yale Information Technology Services. Retrieved from
http://its.yale.edu/news/yale-going-paperless-save-money-time-and-trees
Resmovits, J. (2013). “Teachers Survey Shows Record Low Job Satisfaction in 2012.” Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/21/teachersurveyjobsatisfaction2012_n_2729062.html
