Originally Posted by
Dawg06
A good investment compared to what?
I do think education (primary and higher) is one of the best investments Louisiana can make. Investing in education is investing in our future. At the current funding levels, our universities cannot compete with institutions in other states.
But like I've posted many times, Louisiana has too many universities per capita. As a result, our FTEs are tiny compared to other states. Several colleges should be reduced in scope and mission, and some institutions should be shuttered. I believe in consolidation of primary and higher education in Louisiana. I also believe that technology is changing and will significantly change the way education is delivered in primary and higher ed into the future. How quickly will those changes occur? I don't know. Maybe quicker than we think. Eventually, I believe institutions that do not have a strong traditional undergraduate body, a graduate school with a backbone of American students, and major research initiatives will struggle to survive. The only question is if and when the state will cut bait. It will be a political nightmare if and when they cut bait. If they don't, our schools may be starved to death, and it's survival of the fittest.