University of Maine System emphasizing efficiency

The recent commentary by Stephen Bowen (“Like K-12, shouldn’t Maine’s universities be efficient?”) poses a question with which the University of Maine System trustees and leaders agree wholeheartedly. Indeed, education leaders at all levels should perform their duties with a commitment to efficiency, effectiveness and accountability.

Those operating principles have been the basis for a number of reforms undertaken across the University of Maine System. Unfortunately, some statements and references contained in Mr. Bowen’s commentary unintentionally misrepresent the purposes and costs associated with the University of Maine System. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify these matters.

Mr. Bowen based his comments on data that was included in “Charting Maine’s Future,” a 2006 report developed by the Brookings Institution. Unfortunately some of the calculations used for that report were based on erroneous data about the number of faculty members within UMS. As a result, the report greatly overstated the percentage of UMS employees involved in nonteaching positions such as librarians, public safety officers, administrators, clerical staff, custodians. This error also negatively skewed other calculations related to UMS.

Consequently, the report gave the false impression that UMS spends more than the national average on nonteaching functions. Furthermore, it erroneously stated that the ratios of UMS administrators to students and to faculty exceed the national average. Both statements in the report were wrong.

In March, UMS Chancellor Terry MacTaggart briefed the Legislature’s Appropriations and Education committees and noted the data errors in the Brookings report. He provided legislators with a written explanation of the accurate calculations, comparing UMS academic and non-academic expenditure ratios with national averages. The numbers underscore UMS efforts to trim costs and to focus resources on teaching, research and public service outreach:

. The university system spends $1.09 on noninstructional payroll for every dollar spent on faculty payroll. The national average for noninstructional payroll is $1.11 for every dollar spent on faculty payroll. Thus, UMS spends slightly less than the national average on noninstructional payroll.

. The university system compares very favorably to the national average when it comes to the number of students per administrator. According to the latest available national data, the UMS ratio is 127 students for each administrator. The US average is 69 students for every administrator. In other words, UMS serves nearly twice as many students per administrator than the national average.

. The university system also compares very favorably when comparing the number of faculty members per administrator. The UMS ratio features nine faculty members for every one administrator, compared to the national average of just four faculty members for every administrator. To state a different way, UMS employs fewer than half the number of administrators to support its faculty than the national average.

Mr. Bowen rightly points out that over the past several years, university trustees and leaders have been working to reduce costs. The most recent example is Chancellor MacTaggart’s operational audit, which reduced system-level expenses by $2.7 million to provide more financial support to the universities themselves. Incoming Chancellor Richard L. Pattenaude is expected to expand that process to find and redirect additional savings.

The effort to reduce costs and produce greater efficiencies is an ongoing process. It must be undertaken in a way that retains the value, academic attractiveness and quality of Maine’s public universities. Tuition and fees – “the revenue source of last resort” – should only be increased to help sustain the level of quality that students and taxpayers want and expect.

The public should feel confident that its state university system is operating with the greatest levels of efficiency, effectiveness and accountability possible. According to the Brookings report’s standards, the University of Maine System is performing better than national averages in its efforts to spend precious resources where they are most needed: on teaching and learning.

Readers may view this assessment of administrative efficiencies and national comparisons at the following Web site: www.maine.edu/comparisons.

Dr. James H. Breece of Orono is the University of Maine System’s vice chancellor for academic and student affairs and its executive director of planning and policy analysis. An economist, he serves on the State’s Revenue Forecasting Commission.