He says the proposal would make schools more accountable
MARQUETTE -- The better the performance, the more state money a Michigan university would receive. That's what Governor Rick Snyder wants in a new funding formula which would also consider graduation rates. He says the proposal would make schools more accountable.
Michigan is one of 17 states implementing or studying performance funding. NMU President Les Wong says the new standards could work if implemented correctly. Wong adds, the governor would have to consider the rural surroundings of some universities and admission requirements of each school.
He says if graduation rates directly impact funding, schools would have to make admission requirements stricter.
"It would be too easy for us to simply say, 'I'm sorry, but we're only going to admit high school students or adults who meet these high standards because it's a better guarantee that they're going to persist in graduating.' Northern isn't about that," said Wong.
The state is expected to provide about $1.2 billion to its 15 public universities in the next fiscal year.
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