(03-14-2021 11:39 PM)Statefan Wrote:  In North Carolina, and in much of the South and on the West Coast, the public university system is an economic development tool. Not so much in the northeast or Midwest.

The UNC system has 16 schools instead of 4 and that's why UNC and NC State only have half the population of a Big 10 school. The economic development value of about 1000 or more stable jobs out in bum foozle is pretty great. Contraction will not happen among the top 200 or so institutions in the US. Contraction will hit small liberal arts and schools in dying economic areas that are small. These will go first. HBCU's in the South are another issue because you touch one at your peril.

In much of the South you would need a change in the State Constitutions to make any significant changes.

Although I don’t disagree that it’s unlikely to occur, I do believe that a school like William & Mary would benefit from being private. It was private for its first 200+ years. It helped establish what are now VCU, ODU and Christopher Newport...it accomplished its 20th century development tasks. It has remained a relatively smaller elite university with strong liberal arts focus...W&M has not transitioned like other public Virginia institutions.