two local pittsburgh questions . . .
1. Is there a good online forum for LOCAL home repair, contractor, do-it-yourself advice, etc? I can't find one, but I can't beleive there isn't one out there . . .
2. Why is WDUQ news referring to the public universities and colleges in Pennsylvania as "state owned" in the reports on tuition?? Does this mean something other than public? I may be paranoid, but I think "state owned" sounds a little threatening, (not to me, but the popular connotation, maybe) whereas public higher education is understood by most people to be a good and necessary thing . . . Or is there a perfectly valid reason for WDUQ news to be using a phrase that connotes dark, scary, soviet era breadlines?
Categories: pittsburgh, education
2. Why is WDUQ news referring to the public universities and colleges in Pennsylvania as "state owned" in the reports on tuition?? Does this mean something other than public? I may be paranoid, but I think "state owned" sounds a little threatening, (not to me, but the popular connotation, maybe) whereas public higher education is understood by most people to be a good and necessary thing . . . Or is there a perfectly valid reason for WDUQ news to be using a phrase that connotes dark, scary, soviet era breadlines?
Categories: pittsburgh, education
posted by zoe p. at 9:23 PM
6 Comments:
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) owns 14 universities, i.e. California University of PA, Lockhaven, IUP, etc. I'm guessing you were hearing the report that those 14 universities, which are overseen by a board, are raising tuition 2%. They are in fact, Pennsylvania-owned schools.
Perhaps also it's because they are not "public" in the sense that, say, a public beach, public forest or public park bench might be. They are not open to everyone equally. You have to be admitted. You also have to pay tuition, albeit a subsidize tuition. And they run, in a lot of ways, like private businesses, with an eye toward the bottom line. They have to.
At any rate, why the concern? If the state owns them, the state owns them. That's not "soviet style" propoganda. That's the facts. And for those who do not support that notion, will scrubbing the language change their minds? Will it make people who do support it more enthusiastic?
regarding question 1.
http://www.angieslist.com
It's a national thing, but there is a local section. I use it, though I wish more people did so that it could be as comprehensive as in other cities. Frankly, the cost is minimal considering the costs of both bad guessing on who to use, and poor work done, not to mention research time. Good luck with the projects.
Thanks for the home improvement site. I'd heard about this - they were an NPR sponsor for awhile - but I didn't know anyone personally who'd used it and could recommend it . . .
Can't believe that no one in PA knows what that means!! Okay, once upon a time in a whole different life time I taught at one of those "state owned" colleges (Univ. of Pitt at Jtown). Pennsylvania is different from other states, many of the colleges and universities in Pennsylvania were at one time private, or locally funded (by cities or counties) and back in the 50's and 60's when there was a big push to expand public higher education, Pennsylvania decided rather than spending a lot of money on a bunch of new colleges and universities (like other states did), the state instead went to the existing private and local institutions and said -- hey! We'll give you some more money if you will expand and provide low cost higher education to Pennsylvania residents. Back in my day we used to call Pitt a "private, state supported institution". I'll bet if you check you'll discover that state funds make up less than 20 percent of the operating revenues of Pitt. So "state owned" is really stretching it!
Thanks so much for a clear and concise history. I'm quite serious, I appreciate this.
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