A state senator is calling for a wide ranging look at the way Tennessee provides college education through its two systems.
The University of Tennessee operates campuses in Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville. Board of Regents schools include MTSU, Tennessee Tech and the state’s community colleges.
State Senator Andy Berke says the state needs a frank discussion on how to trim costs in higher education.
“Take a ‘no-sacred cows’ approach to this. If there’s a better way to do it, let’s do it that way, and let the chips fall where they may.”
Berke’s bill calls for an appointed task force to look at the structure, the mission and the funding of higher public education.
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Berke, a Chattanooga Democrat, is in his second term after being elected in a special election a year and a half ago.
He graduated from Stanford University and the University of Chicago Law School.
He stresses the current situation in Tennessee’s spread of public universities.
“Well there’s opportunity in crisis. And certainly we can see a lot of crisis points today in higher education.
We’ve just had the leader of the University of Tennessee system resign. We don’t have leader right now in the Board of Regents system.
And in addition to all that we have all these problems with funding and expenses going on at higher education.
It seems to me to be the perfect time to say, ‘Where are we really going in higher education, and what are we trying to do, and what is the best structure and system we can use to get there?’”
Berke’s bill is SB 2025 Berke/HB 1943 Maddox. It creates the “Forward Think for Education Task Force.”
It directs the panel to study
· The structure of higher education in Tennessee
· The future of higher education in Tennessee
· The overall mission of higher education – how best to provide it to citizens.
· The higher education needs of non-traditional students,
· And funding options.
For more information from the state legislative web site, click here.
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