The Stimulus (for Campuses) Isn't a Bridge: It's a Short Pier

The New York Times' Education Life issue recently covered a broad range of topics, but a primary focus was on an exploration of the big public universities - the flagships. (This article was authored by Chronicle editor Paul Fain.) It's a must-read. Many worry that they are beginning to resemble elite privates more than is appropriate:

At the same time, applications are pouring in from students shut out by the stratospheric cost of private colleges. That’s generally a good thing. Flagships are attracting more wealthy and better-prepared students. Yet as the counterargument goes, a flagship’s traditional mission is to educate its own, especially a state’s low- and middle-income students. The evolution under way is putting some flagships out of reach for the students who were typically enrolled even a decade ago. Each year, the quality of students as well as the budget model skews closer to that of elite private universities.