[Vision2020] Otter’s Plan Overpromises

[Moscow Cares]

Courtesy of today’s (February 11, 2018) Lewiston Tribune with thanks to Nick Gier.

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Otter’s Plan Overpromises 

I would like to respond to Bob Lokken's defense of Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's proposal to consolidate "back-office" functions at University of Idaho, Idaho State University and Boise State University in Boise.

Lokken was co-chairman of Otter's Higher Education Task Force, and its report referenced consolidation of university services in Maine.

Re-organizing six relatively small campuses and the University of Maine at Orono, the state went to a chancellor system in 2012.

In Idaho that would only have been possible decades ago when ISU was the UI at Pocatello and BSU was still a junior college.

Consolidating IT, human resources and finances, the Maine system was able to freeze tuition for five years.

Apparently, Lokken does not know tuition has now gone up 2.5 percent this year.

Lokken claims the Maine system saved "more than $80 million," a suspiciously large figure that I could not verify.

Rebecca Wyke, Maine's vice chancellor for finance and administration, reports about $5 million has been saved with IT and purchasing consolidation.

Lokken's task force report estimated there would be $43 million savings in a similar Idaho consolidation, but a BSU financial officer did his own calculation and came up with $6 million instead.

A colleague of mine at the University of Maine Orono wrote: "Consolidation has led to a lot of wasted time and frustration by faculty and others. Often no one can figure out the centralized policies and find out who can give answers."

Read my full response to Otter's plan at:

http://www.nickgier.com/highedceo.pdf

Nick Gier
President, Idaho Federation of Teachers
Moscow

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Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
  
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