Discover how one public higher education institution was able to succeed despite the many obstacles and challenges that it faced. This is the story of how and why Baruch College of The City University of New York became a "positive outlier," overcoming serious financial constraints, physical space limitations, and other difficulties to be highly ranked academically and financially stable. During a tumultuous time for public higher education, Baruch has graduated tens of thousands of smart and striving individuals (the majority of whom were the first in their family ever to attend college) with little or no educational debt. As the former president of the college, Mitchel Wallerstein analyzes the lessons learned, and he identifies the specific factors that explain Baruch's success. He addresses the question of whether there is anything unique about Baruch's approach-a "secret sauce," so to speak-that accounts for its academic success and financial strength, and he considers whether the Baruch model can be replicated by other public institutions. Book Features: Reviews the history of public higher education, its development in the state of New York, and the important role it has played in the economic development of the United States. Presents a unique, comparative analysis of 15 public higher education institutions in 6 states across the country, comparing their strengths and standing in relation to one another and to Baruch College. Explores the replicability and sustainability of the "Baruch model" in the context of other public higher education institutions across the country. Reflects on the current and future challenges facing public higher education in the 21st century.
Mitchel B. Wallerstein is president emeritus and university professor at Baruch College, The City University of New York.
Contents Preface ?xiii Introduction ?1 Public Higher Education: A Very Brief History ?1 The Uncertain State of Public Higher Education ?2 The View From State Capitals ?3 Pressure to Keep Tuition Low ?4 Public vs. Private Tuition Cost Divergence ?5 Enrollment Patterns and Demographics: Public vs. Private ?6 1. ?A Brief History of CUNY and Baruch College and Their Enduring Values and Challenges ?9 CUNY's Historic Mission: Making Higher Education Affordable and Accessible ?11 The New York City Fiscal Crisis ?12 The Failed "Open Admissions" Experiment ?14 Chronic State Underfunding of CUNY ?15 The Upstate vs. Downstate Problem ?17 The Complicated Relationship Between CUNY and Its Constituent Colleges ?18 2. ?The Special Character of Baruch and Its Students ?21 The New York City Tapestry ?21 Geographic Distribution ?24 Social and Economic Mobility ?24 Academic Focus ?28 International Character ?29 Careers After Graduation ?30 Nature vs. Nurture? ?31 3. ?How Does Baruch Compare Nationally? ?33 Academic Quality ?33 Affordability ?37 The Geographic Factor ?38 An Analysis of PHEIs Comparable to Baruch ?38 4. ?Challenges Facing Baruch and Other Public Higher Education Institutions ?43 Political Support for Public Higher Education ?43 Addressing the Needs of Students Who Commute and Work ?46 Dealing With a Unionized Faculty and Staff ?47 Dealing With Severe Space Constraints and Aging Facilities ?49 Mobilizing Private Philanthropic Support for a Public Institution ?53 5. ?Indicators of Baruch's Success ?57 Increasing Quality of the Student Body ?59 Support for Student Success ?60 New Academic Programs and Initiatives ?61 Increasing the College's Endowment ?64 Developing More Effective Management Tools to Improve Financial Stability ?65 New and Improved Campus Facilities and Outdoor Space ?69 Achieving Strong National and Regional Rankings ?70 Growing National and International Visibility ?71 6. ?Does Baruch College Have a "Secret Sauce"? ?73 Baruch's Advantageous Position Within the CUNY System ?73 Does Baruch Have a "Secret Sauce"? ?81 7. ?Is the Baruch "Model" Sustainable and Replicable? ?83 What Explains Baruch's Academic Success and Financial Stability? ?83 Can the Baruch College "Model" Be Replicated Elsewhere? ?85 The Future Sustainability of the "Baruch Model" ?88 8. ?Reflections on the Future of Public Higher Education ?93 The Challenges Facing Higher Education in General ?93 The Growing Public vs. Private Cost Gap ?95 Providing an Educated Workforce for the 21st Century ?97 Reimagining the U.S. Higher Education System ?97 Conclusion ?98 Endnotes ?101 Index ?117 About the Author ?121
