A member of the 1967 Ohio State University lacrosse team was recently being harassed by friends about the firing/resignation/departure of Jim Tressel, the Buckeye football coach. After a few minutes he politely told his tormenters, “Can you say CIC?”
Say what?
For the benefit of his distracters, the proud Buckeye explained how the CIC is one of the nation’s top economic engines. For the unenlightened, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation is a consortium of the Big Ten member universities plus the University of Chicago.
For five decades the group has worked together to further the missions of their respective universities. They have done this by sharing their knowledge, unique skills, and expertise for the good of the greater cause.
According to the CIC website, 385,000 students attended the universities in the consortium in 2006-2007 (last available data). During that period members received $6 billion in R&D funding. Overall, the institutions awarded 6,532 doctoral degrees, including 20% of U.S. engineering doctoral degrees, and 25% of U.S. agricultural doctoral degrees. While it would be easy to further summarize CIC successes, a greater appreciation of the their programs and impacts can be gained by visiting their website.
Cooperation and sharing expertise – two simple concepts that we were taught in kindergarten.
Looking closer to home… While it is not reasonable to expect Colorado’s higher education system to match the impacts of the CIC, it is fair to hold the system accountable for their cooperative spirit and their willingness to share expertise.
Over the past decade, Colorado’s colleges and universities have been focused on Ward Churchill, Lisa Simpson, 4/20, a lawsuit over toilet paper, which school had the best advertisements at DIA, and a series of PR other gaffes. Colorado higher education has created the impression that it is driven by $$ more than the greater good of the cause.
The system has posted gains in employment during two recessions. Average annual wages have grown at a faster rate than the private sector. Despite tough economic times, Colorado higher education has ramped up its lobbying and fund raising efforts. It has requested and expected double-digit tuition increases to be granted without question.
Cooperation and sharing…the backbone of the CIC. Do they exist in Colorado higher education?
LASP, Maven, EUV, and JILA are great examples of what can happen when people respectfully work together and exchange ideas. Does this collaboration exist beyond engineering and the sciences? What is being done to increase partnerships and eliminate fiefdom building and working in silos? What is being done to make collaboration and the legitimate exchange of ideas a greater part of all disciplines at each of the state’s community colleges, colleges, and universities?
As Colorado legislators ponder ways to improve higher education, the concepts of cooperation and sharing should be part of the discussion. Colorado deserves a higher education system that delivers the goods with the cooperative spirit of the schools in the CIC.
©Copyright 2011 by CBER.