Provost finalist touches on legislative funding and scholarships
By Ashton Shurson - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Latest News
UI provost finalist Arlene Carney said she hopes to dispel the mirage of universities as ivory towers and replace that image with the glass wall and wide-open structures she said they really are.
Carney used the ivory tower and transparent building metaphor today as she made her second appearance as a UI provost candidate. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities vice provost for faculty and academic affairs spoke on the challenges facing public research universities today.
She said that although many see universities as mysterious and untouchable, she believes that universities are transparent wide-open institutions that are blogged about, e-mailed about, and googled everyday.
Carney said the first challenge facing higher education today is providing access to students without the ability to pay. Public research universities, she argued, must provide more scholarships to students.
"Receiving scholarships was a critical factor for me," said Carney, who came from a family with a welder father and a stay-at-home mom. "We want to make [less well off students] believe they belong."
On the other hand, Carney said there needs to be a balance between excellence and access - schools should not admit students who won't succeed during their college careers. Although, Carney said universities should have places for students who might not be as prepared as "we want them to be."
Secondly, Carney said public research universities should have student bodies, faculty, and staff that look like the United States demographically.
"All of our students are living and working in a more diverse world," Carney said. "It's our job is to lead them in this world regardless of their backgrounds."
Carney also touched on legislator funding and university fundraising during her speech. She said that universities must be transparent in order to combat declining state appropriations from legislators around the country.
Following her speech, audience members had a chance to ask questions. One asked if there was anything really distinct to Carney about the UI. Carney cited the UI Writer's Workshop and the balance of focus between the liberal arts and sciences and the medical school.
Carney was the last candidate to interview for the week. During the week of March 10, the last two finalists will speak publicly at the UI.
E-mail *DI* reporter Ashton Shurson at:
ashton-shurson@uiowa.edu
Carney used the ivory tower and transparent building metaphor today as she made her second appearance as a UI provost candidate. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities vice provost for faculty and academic affairs spoke on the challenges facing public research universities today.
She said that although many see universities as mysterious and untouchable, she believes that universities are transparent wide-open institutions that are blogged about, e-mailed about, and googled everyday.
Carney said the first challenge facing higher education today is providing access to students without the ability to pay. Public research universities, she argued, must provide more scholarships to students.
"Receiving scholarships was a critical factor for me," said Carney, who came from a family with a welder father and a stay-at-home mom. "We want to make [less well off students] believe they belong."
On the other hand, Carney said there needs to be a balance between excellence and access - schools should not admit students who won't succeed during their college careers. Although, Carney said universities should have places for students who might not be as prepared as "we want them to be."
Secondly, Carney said public research universities should have student bodies, faculty, and staff that look like the United States demographically.
"All of our students are living and working in a more diverse world," Carney said. "It's our job is to lead them in this world regardless of their backgrounds."
Carney also touched on legislator funding and university fundraising during her speech. She said that universities must be transparent in order to combat declining state appropriations from legislators around the country.
Following her speech, audience members had a chance to ask questions. One asked if there was anything really distinct to Carney about the UI. Carney cited the UI Writer's Workshop and the balance of focus between the liberal arts and sciences and the medical school.
Carney was the last candidate to interview for the week. During the week of March 10, the last two finalists will speak publicly at the UI.
E-mail *DI* reporter Ashton Shurson at:
ashton-shurson@uiowa.edu
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