The Idea of an Essay, Volume 4

Analysis & Response 93 education, and while other nations are investing increasing amounts in their higher education systems, American students are finding it increasingly difficult to afford tuition and are incurring significant debts (4-5). Ross claims that this is “a dangerous trend,” and that he is convinced America is headed down the wrong road with regard to the funding of higher education (5, 7). To illustrate this principle and the challenges that arise from it, Ross turns to his own UNC System as an example. He provides statistics about its size and role in the North Carolina economy, claiming that UNC enrolls 220,000 students from around the nation and the globe, has 60,000 employees (which he claims is more than any private enterprise in the state), has a budget of over 9 billion dollars, and has the impact of generating 426,000 new jobs and 6.4 percent of the state’s annual GDP (5-6). In spite of these numbers, Ross asserts that his administration is “operating in an environment of shrinking resources” (6). He cites decreased state investment as the cause of a number of problems for his university, including increased tuition, dropping enrollment, loss of faculty, and shrinking funding for on-campus research (6-14). Ross provides a number of statistics and examples to support his assertion; in one particular example, he attempts to demonstrate that a loss of faculty, which he claims results from decreasing state dollars, has caused a drop in enrollment (12-13). Ross claims, however, that his administration is taking steps to address these issues and increase operational efficiency. He calls America as a whole to become involved in this process as well, suggesting several possible solutions to the issues he has brought up, including renewed state funding for public universities, better incentives for qualified individuals to enter the teaching profession, and increased funding for research (6-14). Ross contends that more of this kind of investment in higher education and the subsequent development of mental talents would lead to great benefits in both the public and private spheres. From the public perspective, he states that it would make America more competitive in the global economy, strengthen the domestic economy, give rise to stronger communities, lead to greater political participation among the citizenry, lower demand for social services,