By Elizabeth Fitch
Elizabeth Fitch is an associate professor of biology at Motlow State Community College and was the former dean of the Smyrna campus.
The cost of higher education and the associated debt for those who attend college has been a popular topic in recent years, sparking public cries and political debate for change.
That said, it’s no surprise that the United States is currently dealing with news about President Biden’s bold move to write off the debt of students who racked up gigantic federal loans while pursuing higher education.
Instead of asking whether the loans should be canceled or not, we should be looking at a different question.
Why is higher education so expensive that it is nearly impossible to repay federal loans obtained while in attendance?
Related: See how student loan debt has changed
The answer is partly due to rising tuition fees fueled by the need to pay the high salaries and costs for the ever-increasing number of administrative positions that have been added to higher education institutions over the past few decades, otherwise known as “administrative bloat”. .”
Related: Adminstrative Bloat Harms Teaching and Learning
You read correctly. Higher education institutions are extremely bloated with administrative positions including presidents, several vice presidents, assistant vice presidents, assistants for assistant vice presidents, and many other additional positions. In most cases, these positions are accompanied by at least one secretary or support staff.
College presidents earn more than Tennessee governor and US president
The price tag for all positions is high, with most of the cost passed on to students and taxpayers.
In the 2018 article in the journal Planning for Higher Education, the authors of “An Exploration of Administrative Bloat in American Higher Education” write that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported in 2015-16 that “post-secondary institutions in the United States spent 536 billion dollars while only “27% of this amount was used for educational purposes”.
Where does most of the money go? It is spent on administrative positions and salaries.
Red tape is not just an idea, but evidenced by data. In the article “What’s that smell?” Bull****Jobs in Higher Education”, the data provided shows a drastic increase in administrative positions from 1976 to 2018 with a shocking 452% increase in administrative professionals compared to a 78% increase in enrollment in students and a 92% increase in faculty at higher education institutions nationwide (Delucchi et al., 2021, p. 3). The authors add that “80% of employees feel that their managers are useless and that they could just as well do their job without them” (p. 19).
The salaries of top higher education administrators exceed Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s salary by $194,000 per year and even US President Joe Biden’s salary by $400,000 per year. For example, Sidney McPhee of Middle Tennessee State University earns over $414,000 per year, while Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover earns over $311,000 per year. The University of Memphis recently hired new president Bill Hardgrave with a salary of $650.00 per year.
Chancellor Flora Tydings: TBR.edu Moreover, higher education institutions all have boards of directors that employ many people, all with high salaries as well.Chancellor Flora Tydings Tydings of the Tennessee Board of Regents earns more than $386,000 a year.
University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd recently approved a $160,000 raise for Chancellor Donde Plowman, raising her salary to $820,000 per year. UT Health Sciences Center Chancellor Peter Buckley earns $950,000 a year.
UT Health Sciences Center Chancellor Peter Buckley: Image courtesy UTHSC News
Other states offer a high salary to administrators, with the University of Kentucky paying its president more than $838,000 a year. University of Alabama fans may not be aware of the rising tide associated with administrative compensation. The president made more than $815,000 there in 2020.
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Canceling student loans alone is not a lasting solution In fact, every state in the union pays higher education administrators and board members exorbitant salaries. These board members, university presidents, their executive and support staff exceed the salaries and costs associated with those who serve in the highest ranks of the state and federal government.
The greed for administrative positions in higher education and high administrative salaries must be purged.
Simply forgiving student loans is short-sighted and while some may argue its necessity and virtues, it is far from a lasting solution.
Elizabeth Fitch
Until we tackle the administrative burden of higher education and the overpaid salaries that come with it, there is no real relief for students in our country. Ignoring this serious problem and expecting taxpayers to continue footing the bill is not a logical solution. It’s time to look at our higher education overspending habits and start cutting the fat to get our higher education system back in shape.
Elizabeth Fitch is an associate professor of biology at Motlow State Community College and was the former dean of the Smyrna campus.
