Indiana Higher Education Problems

 I wrote about this in No Education, No Good Jobs.  From the Indiana Capital Chronicle published, Indiana higher education commission fields tough funding questions from state budget panel. I saw no other articles published on this.

But some lawmakers on the state budget panel raised concerns about the recommendations, saying the higher education commission should develop a more specific and strategic plan to meet the governor’s goal of having at least 60% of adult Hoosiers with a quality degree or credential beyond high school by 2025. Currently, that number is just over 48%, leaving a majority of Hoosier adults without a credential beyond a high school diploma.

Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, additionally said the plan could unfairly shift the burden of improving some metrics — like Indiana’s dismal college-going rate — to institutions of higher education instead of K12 schools. 

In recent months, members of the ICHE’s own board said they also had hesitations about the new outcomes-based funding model, cautioning that it lacks clear goals for the state’s public colleges and universities.

The state’s largest public postsecondary institution is pushing back, too, maintaining that recent progress made by the school won’t be rewarded, which could mean millions of dollars are no longer guaranteed.

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Now, ICHE’s primary requests center around operational increases for each of the state’s public colleges and universities, including base funding boosts and performance-based incentives. The commission is also asking the state to greenlight funding for one capital project at each institution, totaling about $476 million over the biennium.

“Our public and private institutions are pretty good at attracting students from out-of-state — we have the ability to attract talent,” Lowery said. “But we have a problem with the talent pipeline.”

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The ICHE also laid out a proposal for its internal operations. Their recommendations include:

• $7 million to maintain and enhance three financial aid programs
• $5 million for marketing & communications, notably to launch a grassroots, statewide campaign that will “promote the value of higher education to individuals and Indiana’s economy”
• $400,000 needed to fund “new and necessary” staffing needs
• $656,000 to restore funding from 2021 cuts, which will help with increased costs from inflation and enable the agency to move personnel costs and other administrative funding off grant sources

Brown took issue with the statewide communications plan, though. She questioned why the higher education commission should be the “marketer” for all Indiana colleges and universities and maintained that high schools should be the ones responsible for pushing students to continue their education after graduation.

The senator was further critical of the commission’s “confusing … cross messaging” about credentialing that can be obtained outside of traditional two- and four-year colleges and universities. Brown said ICHE should focus less on messaging that encourages students to attend other programs for other credentials.

“I understand we need credentials, we need the workforce development and training. But that’s a lot of things to stick on the wall from your agency,” she said, adding that the state is spending “so much money” on grant programs, like 21st Century Scholars, that support student enrollment at two- and four-year schools.

“We’re washing away millions and millions and millions of dollars that we’re spending on kids hoping to go to college,” Brown continued, referring to what she called “horrible” retention rates among scholarship students at Indiana colleges.

I remain unconvinced that Indiana will better its college-educated population without there being an improvement in how education is perceived by the general population. Who uses their bully pulpit to elevate the role of education in this state?

sch 12/8/22