Re: [MTC Global] The profit motive is threatening higher education

Dear All,

Let me dive somewhat deeper.

The scenario like no takers for graduates, paucity of funds for meeting variable expenses such as recurring and salary expenses, vacant seats, etc., represents incidental problems and efforts are being taken to overcome such issues in HE business, like,

1. Admitting even second class Diploma holders to engineering, increasing second year admissions meant for Diploma pass-outs and more over many colleges have opted for second shifts. During the last 5years intake at UG/PG levels have almost doubled,in some UG colleges it is more than three times.And add to this Central, NRI, foreign, PIO and J & K quota.

2. Some States have lowered down the entry qualifications like just passing 12+ exam. with 35% marks or second class Diploma.

3. 10% student-fees waivers provisions. For increasing admissions, some institutes charge tuition fees at concessional rates, especially to localites.

4.A sizable financial load, as I know in Maharashtra, is getting transferred to States under EBC, OBC, NT, VJNT and other reservation categories, e.g. charging 50% tuition fees. In Maharashtra 0ver 50% tuition fees of the admitted students is funded by the State.

5. Like other business cycles, HE has its own ups and downs. During 1983-1993 entire financial control was in the hands of managements, most of the institute were started by political giants, then we have 1993-2003, the era of free seats and payment seats, and then fees approval by State Committee, constituted as per SC directives. Over the last 5 -7 years tuition fees have shot up to twice or thrice by Govt. authorities based on the actual expenses per student of the preceding year plus inflation plus development fees, we have accepted cost based education system. Bank loan is now available. There are a few examples that show faculty, staff and management reduce the expenses to meet both the ends, normally a short term phenomenon. SEFIs are one of the largest employment (direct and indirect: 3-4 times of direct) generating sectors. Faculty and staff are ready to accept lower compensations, rather it is not unusual phenomenon to be seen in both rural and urban areas.

6. Institutes are struggling for branding. Students are crazy after such institutes located in cities like Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, etc

7. On one hand we cry for higher fees and on the other management offers un-thought compensation to some faculties,for branding, present trend is if you are merely a PhD degree holder, your pay is normally Rs. 1.2 lakhs to Rs 2 lakhs pm.

8. Demands for certain prgs as the time passes are bound to go down naturally or vacancies may shoot up, a normal phenomenon any business faces.

9. it is said that one engineering college is equivalent to 3 sugar factories or one medical college equal to 10 sugar factories.Donations are on rise. People are paying. I have come across, during 1988, one of the prestigious egg colleges located in rural area adjacent to a sugar factory. The architecture/design of the institute building is unexpected, all labs underground. I was told that in case the college does not run, we will convert this into warehouses! Some of the colleges are on sale and sold out.

10.Please see the PG intake in UG colleges where one finds no enough number of teachers to teach even UG classes, but the business is successfully moving forward.

We must thank to our population. There may be vacancies here, but some other place there is a huge crowd. If you want admission for B Com in Delhi, your % needs to be 100%! But access in engineering and MBA HE, no problem. India is a very peculiar country, a country of rich people (though % is miserably low but absolute number is astonishingly very high in the context of the world HE education market), a country of brilliant students (most of them are trained in coaching classes charging fees something like 1-5 lakhs for say one year).

This is the set of people I am referring to in my statement : If the Indian HE players of the game are happy, is there any need/interest in improving our HE system?, though I fully agree with the Professor Goel's views that are based on larger and broad perspective in terms of, say, social responsibility, nation making, etc. But all HE businessmen, save a few, will strive to dwell in profit zone and not even prefer to be at BEP!

Regards.

________________________________________________________________

Advisor (HR), IBS & PME (PG)
Marathwada Institute of Technology,
Aurangabad: 431028 (Maharashtra) INDIA
(O) 02402375113 (M) 7276661925
E-Mail: waghodekar@rediffmail.com
Website: www.mit.asia

Engineering & Management Education: An Engine of Prosperity.
Classroom teaching must match with Boardroom needs!

From: "Virendra Goel"
Sent: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 21:14:55
To: googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [MTC Global] The profit motive is threatening higher education

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