By Lynn Hatter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-987061.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – The Senate's Higher Education committee took on the issue of higher education reform Tuesday. But as Lynn Hatter reports, not all lawmakers are in agreement on what such a thing would look like, and what it means for the state's colleges and universities.
Schools are wary about proposals like changing tenure because those kind of long-term contracts help them recruit and retain professors and research dollars. But similar contracts aren't offered in private businesses. The Texas version of higher education reform backed by Governor Rick Scott supports running schools like the private sector. Senate Higher Education Chairman Committee Steve Oelrich says he can see both sides of the argument.
"In between those two, I'm willing to look at the Texas plan, but I'm not completely sold on it because the university presidents don't like it."
Meanwhile others say higher education does need reforming but the focus should be on how the schools are governed. The issue there is Bachelor's Degrees and the ability of community and state colleges to offer four year programs that sometime conflict with what universities do.