Covering the business of education and training

I have thought for sometime that the traditional public universities in many cases have mismanaged funds and then had to 'beg' the state to give them more = have the taxpayers dig more deeply.

Now, I know it's true.

The Chancellor of the University of Arkansas' flagship campus literally got down on his knees this week to beg state legislators to fully fund his budget request.

The Chancellor said UA-Fayetteville campus would be $36 million short of its funding needs and still fall short even voters approve a $250 million bond issue next week on the general ballot.

The Chancellor is begging the law makers to approve a $331.8 million budget for 2007 that will allow the school to add 40 new faculty and give them all a 3% pay raise.

Of course, I don't know the details of the budget...but I do know that many/most? traditional colleges couldn't balance a budget even if their economics profs took a stab at it.

It seems to me to be very poor form for a Chancellor to take such an action. He might be better off applying such earnestness to making ends meet with the $300+ million they already have and the 5.25% tuiton hike that they are making the Arkansas students pay.

What do you think?