Charges fly in debate over higher ed reform

by Daniel J. Fitzgibbons, Chronicle staff

ov. Mitt Romney's bid to restructure the state's higher education system drew more criticism this week as four high-tech business leaders publicly backed President William M. Bulger, whose office would be eliminated under the reorganization.

     In a letter to Romney and Bulger, the executives came out against the governor's plans for the University system. The letter was signed by Ray Stata, chairman of Analog Devices; George W. Chamillard, chief executive of Teradyne, Inc.; Henri A. Termer, president of Genzyme Corp.; and Michael J. Costello, managing partner of PriceWaterhouse Coopers.

     "As entrepreneurs and technologists, we appreciate the governor's bold efforts to transform state government, particularly the state's public higher education system," says the letter. "However, we do not believe that replacing the UMass president's office with a new governance structure and dismantling the current five-campus system is good for the future of public higher education, science research, or our technology economy."

     Meanwhile, four area community and state college presidents whose institutions are targeted for mergers this week blasted the Romney plan as a "cookie cutter" approach to education.

     Speaking at a press conference on Monday at Holyoke Community College, Westfield State College President Frederick Woodward, Greenfield Community College President Robert Pura, Springfield Technical Community College President Andrew Scibelli and HCC President David Bartley acknowledged the need for their campuses to make cuts, but said such decisions should be in their hands, not the governor's.

     "We are not cookie cutter campuses to be ruled from 100 miles away," Bartley said.
That argument apparently had some sway with Romney, who said Tuesday that the community college presidents do not have to follow the recommendations of the Board of Higher Education in making cuts.

     The announcement came after Romney met with the 15 community college presidents.

     State college presidents are scheduled to meet with the governor next Monday. A meeting is also planned between Romney and the chancellors of the five-campus UMass system.

     In other developments:

     --Vice President for Management and Fiscal Affairs and treasurer Stephen Lenhardt told a legislative committee on Monday that the Romney administration did not contact his office before deciding to stop a previously approved $371 million bond issue earlier this month. The administration said the bond package included projects not included in the University's five-year capital plan.

     Appearing before the House Long-Term Debt and Capital Expenditure Committee, Lenhardt said if the bond package isn't approved, "we're croaked."

     Committee chair Marie Parente (D-Milford), who offered support for the University, expressed the view that 80 percent of the Romney administration's action was "politically motivated."

     --In an attempt to build support for its higher education reform plan, the Romney administration last week released data showing that students fees at public campuses were raised 433 percent between 1989 and 2003 - a trend they termed "fee abuse."

     The Romney plan would strip all schools of the power to raise fees and place that authority under the Board of Higher Education, appointed by the governor.

     Campuses would be barred from raising fees until they first meet $68 million in "savings targets" set by the governor.

     College leaders called the fee analysis misleading, saying that deep cuts in state support prompted institutions to increase fees to insure a reliable source of revenue.

     --Board of Higher Education Chairman Stephen P. Tocco said March 20 that Bulger could still have a role in a reorganized University system. However, administration officials quickly noted that they are completely committed to the Romney overhaul, including the elimination of the President's Office.