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TABLE 5

COMPARISON OF NUMBER OF JOB OPENINGS
AND NUMBER OF GRADUATES, 1970

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*Relative to "demand", region is where job openings existed; relative to "supply", region is where graduate attended high school prior to attending postsecondary institution. In interpreting and assessing these data, it is necessary to take into account out-of-state supply and demand conditions as they relate to Kansas graduates and to the Kansas job market.

**Region 1A consists of two geographically separated subregions.

This poses a problem in identifying the role of private institutions, describing their relationship to public institutions and establishing an adequate financial base.

UNSATISFACTORY FINANCING

A major problem is the lack of uniformity in the distribution of state and local taxes. Related problems include insufficient revenue to adequately support needed educational programs and rising tuition and fee costs for students. The substantial differences in the percentage of state aid among the types of public institutions are unjustified and are not in the best interest of the state. As a result of insufficient funding, the more costly programs, such as occupational training and education for the disadvantaged and handicapped, have been deemphasized. The budgetary projections of Chapter 1 indicate the problem will become more severe during this decade. In order to maintain the current level of program emphasis, and to serve a modest increase in student enrollments, the revenue required to support the statewide operating budget will nearly double between. 1970 and 1980.

INADEQUATE MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE

Never before in the history of postsecondary education in the United States has the focus on accountability been so intense. Selfexamination has been forced upon educational institutions of learning by alienated students, disaffected faculty, dissatisfied legislators, disenchanted alumni and disappointed parents who are challenging the present system of postsecondary education. As a result, there is a growing reluctance by state, federal and private sources to finance postsecondary education. Costs are climbing steadily, while income from all sources is increasing too slowly to meet the demands of education.

Despite increased concern for accountability, there is still a widespread lack of meaningful assessment of postsecondary education. One of the primary reasons for this failure has been the placement of evaluative emphasis on the processes of education. The state should be more concerned with the measurement of educational achievement in relation to state and student priorities and goals.

The other deterrent to an effective process of evaluation is the lack of a uniform data base. At present, there is no standardized data collection system that cuts across all of postsecondary education. This also precludes the implementation of program budgeting.

A Point of Departure

CHAPTER 3. PHILOSOPHY FOR THE FUTURE

Planning for the future course of post secondary education should reflect clear statements about the most important elements which will guide developments to come. Following are Master Planning Commission statements of position relative to goals for postsecondary education, role of postsecondary institutions, financing, performance and governance.

GOALS FOR KANSAS POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION Among the goals for postsecondary education in Kansas are the following:

To provide an educated citizenry by developing
individual capacities and cultivating the values,
interests, attitudes, talents, intellect and motivations for
effective participation in a democracy characterized by
the concept of private enterprise.

To provide a pool of well-qualified personnel to serve the
manpower needs in the State of Kansas, as well as those
of the nation.

To serve as a catalyst in shaping the future economic,
cultural and social progress of the state and the nation.
To assure equality of access to all levels of education, and
to provide education to fit the diverse needs of the people
of the State of Kansas.

To foster excellence in teaching and research in the best
possible facilities in order to provide quality education
for Kansas students.

• To encourage and facilitate lifelong learning by adults so
that each can better fulfill the manpower needs in the
state, as well as his own development as an educated
person. Inherent in this goal is easy entry, exit and re-
entry in programs as the needs of adults change.

To utilize the resources and expertise of postsecondary
education to the fullest in order to most effectively serve
the needs of the people in the State of Kansas.

INTEGRATION OF ACADEMIC AND
OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION

The MPC strongly believes that academic and occupational education should be integrated to the fullest extent possible. That is, unification should be exercised through governance, organization, staffing and curriculum as well as philosophically. Only through such a total commitment will it be possible to:

• Provide conditions conducive to up-grading occupational education to a first class status.

• Provide a mix of courses to meet the training requirements of the many semi-professional, technical and midmanagement programs that are neither exclusively academic or totally skill related.

• Provide an integrated training atmosphere that is consistent with the world of work and other aspects of society.

• Provide expanded exploratory opportunities for the undecided and facilitate program changes to accommodate changes in career objectives.

Provide a basis for statewide planning.

• Provide efficiencies by achieving economies of scale. Provide a better match between the economic needs of the state and the skills of persons preparing for job entry.

ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS

The role of the various institutions should be guided but not limited by a set of rules. The state-wide system of governance should be sufficiently flexible to allow individual institutions to be responsive to the changing needs of the economy and of students. Although guidelines should be facilitating, they should provide sufficient checks and balances to insure that major institutional changes in role be coordinated on a state-wide basis to best serve the total needs of Kansas.

The following general guidelines are presented for institutional types.

Role of Public Four-year Institutions

The state universities should concentrate on: the pursuit of research in the arts and sciences; preparation of leaders, scholars, scientists and other professionals which the specialized faculties of graduate universities are equipped to do; provision of educational experiences for capable undergraduate students interested in types of interaction which only universities can offer; and provision of special and highly specialized services to other institutions and groups of the broad community outside of the university.

The state colleges and the municipal university should perform the same functions as the universities but with less emphasis on research and graduate studies.

Role of Public Two-year Institutions

The public two-year institutions should concentrate on: preparation of students for transfer to four-year institutions, preparation of persons for entry into occupational positions, provision of services to meet the non-educational needs of the community served (e.g., recreational, cultural, planning and other community services.) These opportunities should be directed to all members of society including the handicapped, the disadvantaged, the person with non-saleable skills, the minority, the adult, as well as those normally classified as "college material".

Private Institutions

The MPC does not believe it appropriate to make recommendations regarding the role of non-public educational institutions. It does believe that private colleges have made significant contributions to Kansas postsecondary education. The strength of these institutions has been primarily in the following areas: provision of alternatives for those desiring nonsecular educational opportunities; preparation at the undergraduate level of leaders, scholars, scientists and other professionals; provision of educational experiences for capable undergraduate students interested in types of interaction which only such colleges can offer; and the ability for some to experiment with instructional innovations beyond those generally available to public institutions. The private sector provides important alternatives for postsecondary education. The continuance of private education is considered to be in the best interest of the state.

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