The document is titled Quality Higher Education for the 21st Century. It was prepared by the California Faculty Association and reviewed last week by faculty representatives from 21 states. 

The report: Feedback is requested. From Inside Higher Ed, a report on the report and the meeting from Dan Berrett:

And yet, the draft document prepared by the CFA advocates for more public investment in higher education. While this position is politically difficult, it represents sound policy, several faculty members said. “The irony is that not investing is dangerous for the future,” said Landy.

Some argued that cost efficiencies could be better realized in places other than the classroom, such as administration. When colleges put less than 50 percent of their budgets into what goes on in class, it is, said Taiz, "plain, flat-out crazy."

Another place to cut might be sports, or new facilities projects, some said. Roiblatt pointed to the $38 million renovation of a health, physical education and recreation building featuring space on her campus for student health services, fitness centers, a jogging track, gyms, locker rooms, café and classrooms. "The institution seems to have plenty of money for edifices," she said. "It seems like that is never questioned -- even when the dollars are enormous."

A session here at the Council of Independent Colleges' conference for presidents opened with the sort of joke that goes over well in a room full of top administrators: "How many faculty members does it take to change a light bulb?"

The punchline: "Change?"

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Scott Carlson, writing from the presidents' conference of the Council of Independent Colleges, shares from a presentation that was focused on good relations with faculty, and the importance of getting faculty support, especially in tough times. Some of the presidential advice:

• Be brutally honest about the challenges, but don't paint a situation as hopeless—and never overpromise.
• Encourage faculty members to interact with the business-affairs staff and decision makers on the board of trustees—not just at board meetings, but also in informal situations.
• When sacrifices pay off with new or renewed resources, be sure to share those resources with those who gave up something for the organization. "Conspiracy theorists will say, You're just using the crisis to pull things from us that you felt you couldn't do" in good times, he said. ...

The key lessons, Mr. Anderson said, were that crisis can drive change on a campus, but it can also present two risks: "The first is that we can get into a food fight over process, and we lose our focus on the real issue of how we are going to make reductions and reallocations," he said. The policy document from the 1970s helped with that problem in this case.

"The second thing is, How do you preserve the fabric of the community and avoid the board taking charge or the administration taking charge?" he said. That threat can alter the very spirit of the higher-education enterprise, he said.