Why do public colleges deservea stimulus package?
We are the economic stimulus. The future of the nation is going to be idea-driven, so colleges are the smokestack industries of tomorrow. If you had five minutes with the President, what would you say? I would argue for a significant infusion of money for the intellectual infrastructure of the country—the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The Obama Administration needs to focus on supporting things that will be important to the knowledge economy, like science, mathematics, and engineering—things that allow us to remain competitive in the world. You earned $1.3 million in 2008. How do you defend your compensation? I run the largest and most complex institution in the country. If I perform well, I hope people look at me and say I’m worth what they are paying. I assure you, if I don’t perform, people will complain. College applications are up even as funding shrinks. Do you have a plan? In economic downturns, you get an influx of students who want to come
