Wasting Away in MBAville 2: Letting accountants evaluate eduction

Michigan

Big waste found at state universities

Auditors question use of taxpayer money

Go to www.audgen.michigan.gov. Click the "Complete Audit Reports" link, then within each year's index look under "Universities and Colleges."

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

BY JOHN BEBOW

Their crimes:

Michigan's public universities have offered thousands of sparsely attended classes, allowed thousands of students to pad grades by taking the same classes over and over, and sometimes failed to monitor or correct faculty performance.

Those findings -- issued in state audits -- suggest that taxpayer-supported universities could do more to tighten operations as they battle for more government funding in dire economic times. The auditors' concerns come as students and parents face stiff annual tuition increases.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

BrooklynDodger(s) comments: Truly seat of the pants journalism. Find the website - probably tipped off - clip a few graphs, interview a random angry parent, and presto, top of the DFP website without getting up from the monitor.

So Western Michigan University gets dinged for having small classes. Never mind, you might need a small class to get some kids a required course in their major. Others get dinged for students taking courses a second time to get a better grade - if the idea were to make more money, or let students improve their chances of graduate school, what's wrong with that?

The legislature has starved university support, then turns around and complains that the universities raise tuition.

The article revealed that U of M Ann Arbor, the golden temple, has never been audited. The state plans that.

Don't take the Dodger wrong; surely there are faculty who are frauds and administrative perks which are waste. But you can't evaluate or audit against the institution when you don't share the goals.