| Sanford's radical proposal Gov. Mark Sanford has shaken up South Carolina's higher education establishment with his proposal, outlined at The Citadel last week, for the state's 33 public colleges and universities to either cooperate and coordinate their programs to get rid of waste and duplication, or go private. To sweeten the privatization pot, the governor would let the go-it-alone institutions keep their land and buildings for free. This could make a huge difference; in the past, how to pay for land and buildings was a major stumbling block to the privatization option. Sanford made it clear he isn't pushing privatization for privatization's sake. He's looking for efficiencies - more necessary now than ever before since taxpayer funding of higher education has been drastically cut in recent years. And with the state still deep in deficits, more cuts are in the offing. Ten years ago, according to one estimate, South Carolina's top public universities got nearly 40 percent of funding from the state; today it's less than 25 percent. Moreover, says Sanford, his state averages 105 percent of the national average for tuition while North Carolina is at 82 percent and Georgia at 86 percent. Hence, it's clear if South Carolina's quality of higher education is to be rescued, some fundamental changes are necessary. Privatizing is one way to reform the system. Another is to strengthen the state's Commission on Higher Education or go to a university regents system like Georgia has. These reforms have also been pushed before - and they've been fiercely resisted because, traditionally, South Carolina universities have been competitive, not cooperative. State oversight, yes; state control, no. Sanford is saying those days must end. To eliminate overlap and inefficiencies, the schools will have to accept more state control or go private. "If any institution ultimately feels uncomfortable with our push toward coordination, they can exit the system," Sanford said. He then submitted a list of 13 of the larger colleges and universities, including USC-Aiken, that would be eligible to privatize. Those that opt for privatization would not receive state money, would be free of state regulations and could set their own tuition rates. They would, however, have to reorganize as not-for-profits and charge a reduced tuition rate, as state schools now do, for South Carolina students. The tax money saved, Sanford said, could go to improve other institutions. The governor's proposal is radical and far-reaching, but it's a long way from being a fait accompli. It will require legislative action which won't happen unless the higher education establishment gets behind the plan. Until recently, there was no chance that would happen, but with the state slashing funds anyway, some schools might find privatization preferable to submitting to more state control. Give the governor credit for thinking outside the box. How his plan shakes out won't be known for months, but he's certainly put higher education on the reform agenda.
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