<p>I always like imagining what kind of super-university the University of California would be if it only had one campus, or if it had one top-tier campus and maybe one or two lower-tier campuses. It would be insane! </p>
<p>As it is, the UC system has six campuses (Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Davis, Irvine, Santa Barbara) among the top 50 universities according to U.S. News. All eight campuses are within the top 81 (Santa Cruz at 74 and Riverside at 81). None of the other UM campuses are in the top 120.</p>
<p>Yes, UMich-ANN ARBOR does have the abilities and does on a trend to go "PRIVATIZATION".</p>
<p>UMich has one of the largest and fast growing endowment in the nation, top three largest and top five richest alumni group, high percentage of OOS and top academic & sport traditions.</p>
<p>But in the near future, UMich will stay public, and go with UC-Berkely to be the "TWIN-TOWER" defense to keeping those Ivies and top privates from dominating too much ! GO BLUE!!!</p>
<p>The choice to go private is not UMich's since its a state school; the discretion to privatize UMich lies in Michigan's residents (through politicians of course). Basically, Michigan's constitution would have to be changed. I highly doubt the Michigan citizens' want this since they have a well known state school where they can get bargain educations right in their own backyard. A move to privatize UMich would be so unpopular amongst the people that no politician would dare even try it. </p>
<p>Privatization for UMich is not going to happen.</p>
<p>Due to UM's constitutional protection, it already has more independence from state rules than any other state school. It may issue its own bonds, set tuition, and just about any other thing it wishes. It already is quasi-private with state aid. The state sometimes uses the aid to get UM to do certain things such as keep tuition increases at a certain level.</p>
<p>"The choice to go private is not UMich's since its a state school..."</p>
<p>You got that right!! University of Michigan is a fully public school, designed to serve the students of the state of michigan. There's nooooo way it's ever going to be private!! Actually, most universities start out private and go public due to funding....such as Berkeley did in the early 1900's.</p>
<p>cornell has a wonderful relationship working with ny state. Their state-endowed schools offer an ivy league education at an unbeatable value for in-state residents; a reason why many ny residents attend cornell university. Cornell is considered a private university but a few of the individual colleges are state-endowed.</p>
<p>"Cornell is considered a private university but a few of the individual colleges are state-endowed."</p>
<p>Yeah, it's fully private in terms of control, which lies with the president of the university. In terms of funding, some of the little-known units are 1/2-off for ny residents....all the main colleges are all full price though (like arts, science, engieering etc.)</p>
<p>Overall, Cornell is a private university. It has certain individual land-grant colleges which by statute are affiliated with NY state. Cornell shouldn't be compared with UMich, which is CONSTITUTIONALLY bound to Michigan state (a more apt. NY state comparison to UMich would be the SUNY system). I would not characterize University of Michigan as quasi-private in any sense becuase its still bound to the state, note all the affirmative action cases, they wouldn't have happened with a private school or even a place like Cornell.</p>
<p>Actually, I don't think it would ever happen, but I've had a few professors saying how great it would be.</p>
<p>Umich operates on a low single digit percentage of $$ from the state. The state is in economic decline and its public money budget has been slashed by 50% over 10 years. Other instutions around the country facing similar circumstances have privitized (some in Mass, South Carolina, Colorado, New Mexico, and Alabama) and some people are calling for it in Michigan too.</p>
<p>I don't think it would ever happen but politicians are always looking for budget to chop in sagging economies. They've already cut higher education a ton, and I think the U would be more than happy to forgo its money in exchange for reduced rates on the buildings it doesn't own. Lots of money from not spending on higher ed + additional money from selling the buildings and labs (payed for by Umich's huge endowment) would go along way to meeting Michigan's constitutional requirement for a yearly balanced budget (a req they've been having a hell of a time fufilling lately).</p>
<p>
[quote]
would not characterize University of Michigan as quasi-private in any sense becuase its still bound to the state, note all the affirmative action cases, they wouldn't have happened with a private school or even a place like Cornell
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Actually every U from Harvard to Northern XX College for the stupid accepts federal money and would have had to adhere to the feds AA ruling if it wanted to keep that money.</p>
<p>'alicantekid, we aren't comparing the UC schools to the Michigan schools. It's Irvine being compared with Mich Ann Arbor."</p>
<p>Well I am. ;)</p>
<p>I was just bringing up a point, though. UM gets a huge majority of Michigan's top high school students, while the top of California's high schoolers get spread out to more campuses that are all still top-tier. Of course, CA has a bigger population. I'm not saying that Irvine is better than UM, because it's not, but I was just bringing up that point.</p>
<p>i doubt michigan would go private. as a school itself, it could. but because it is a state school, and its mission is to educate the students of michigan, it shouldnt and wouldnt. having michigan state as the top public would be a slap to the face of michigan residents.</p>
<p>MSU is a pretty good school and is bigger than UMich-AA.
The journalism in MSU is the top in the state and also has a respected B-Shool.
MSU do have a lot of good and respected programs.</p>
<p>It is a much better school than people thought and surely can carry on the mission if UMich-AA go private.</p>
<p>Why are you so stubborn? There's no way comparing UCI and Umich. Let me tell you that it's much much easier to obtain a faculty position at UCI than at Umich, that should give you partial description of the schools. I admit I've never been to any of those schools, but I've been in graduate school long enough to see tons of Michigan paper and virtually/relatively none comes from UCI. Oh BTW I only refer to Ann-Arbor, not the others.</p>