University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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The new Commission on Higher Education in Massa- chusetts must reduce the size of the public higher edu- cation system as it struggles with reorganization - but it will find major political problems along the way. . .. There will be an overcapacity within institu- tions for the next two dec- ades more institutions than necessary, he said. But how do you squeeze that capacity and who gets squeezed when every insti- tution is part of somebody's constituency? But they're going to have to squeeze. Dr Knapp also made the following observations: - By the year 2000, high- er education will need about the same capacity as it has now. Top state education administrators sense that Blueprint fer UMass!Amherst are signifi- cant. We're going to have to do something about it, Dr. Knapp said. - Public schools are fail- ing students. Higher educa- tion institutions will have to work more closely with pub- lic schools. If public schools don't shape up, particularly in educating the disadvan- taged and minority students, then the university may have to lower its admission standards and do the job it- self. - Social, technological and ecological problems abound. No way has yet been found to mobilize the university's resources to solve these problems. Reorganization of higher education in Massachusetts is talked about annually. Re- the commission sees only short-term problems and short-term needs. The ques- tion is how to mothball suf- ficient capacity to accommo- date the projected needs of 20 years hence. - Institutions of higher education must prepare for a different student body dur- ing the next two decades - disadvantaged, Hispanics and blacks. The question is whether colleges and univer- sities will be able to pro- vide opportunities for those peoplef' Few officials are facing up to the facts. - Retraining adults, such as some middle-aged people with doctorates no longer worth much in the job mar- ket, will be a major focus. - How to maintain qual- ity education and campus fa- cilities in the face of infla- tion is a dramatic struggle. Physical plant and lands- Caplng deterioration at higher education in the 80's happens. Something must be done about it. - A UMass president op- erates in a highly charged atmosphere. I've never seen a culture where there are so many politicians - or pseu- do politicians, said Dr. Knapp. There is so much media exposure and 5 mil- lion influence brokers . . . - Unless there is a major recession that lasts a decade, the need for college-trained people will continue in order to satisfy the demand of business and industry. Dr. Knapp noted that the state has five boards of trustees for public higher education, more than any other state, and there is no coordination .... However, he found draw- backs to a super board for all tend to lead to diminished quality - and it would like- ly become a highly political instrument. He also cited the lack of coordination between public and private higher educa- tion in Massachusetts as a significant problem. The real question of reor- ganization is how we use our very limited dollars, he said. Both public and pri- vate institutions must be looked at very hard. In response to questions, Dr. Knapp noted the univer- sity's tremendous building program during the last 20 years. When you build fast and in large numbers, you run into difficulties, he said. And that's what the state did for the last 20 years at