The Business of Engineering Education

The current recession is going to financially stress public universities in the Midwest; state funding will in all likelihood decline.High school graduation rates will be declining in all five states over the next few years, so enrollment and tuition revenues will also decline.It will be a difficult period for the universities financially, and faculty must think about the cost effectiveness of their contributions to the university.Faculty need to work with the administration to build a strong case for state funding, help with retention of current students, and recruiting of new students.This recession is going to force universities to look carefully at the cost effectiveness of their approaches to teaching and research.