U.S. Research Universities Face Profound Pressures, Says University of California-Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi

The deep recession and shifting social values are combining to place U.S. research universities at risk of a decline that could undermine long-term economic strength and make higher education unaffordable for many students, University of California-Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi told a AAAS audience.

State support for the world-class University of California system has been cut by 50% in the past 25 years, and by more than 20% in the past year alone, Katehi said at AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy. The state Board of Regents raised student fees by 32% last year. At the University of Michigan, where Katehi was previously a professor and associate dean, tuition is now comparable to that of private schools, she said.

“The welfare for our nation and our states lies in the ability to educate our workforce and prepare citizens for a life that is meaningful and productive,” she said. But the diminished support jeopardizes “the ability of the state to sustain the public research university, and to sustain the mission of educating the citizens, and sustain democracy.”

Katehi, a member of the AAAS Board of Directors, spoke for a little over 30 minutes at the opening morning of the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Forum, held 13-14 May in Washington, D.C. The Forum, celebrating its 35th year, attracted over 500 U.S. and foreign leaders from government, education, and business.

For more information about Linda Katehi’s address to the AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy, read the full story.

28 May 2010