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State Spending for Higher Education in Oklahoma: Perceptions from Members of the Oklahoma State Legsilature

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State Spending for Higher Education in Oklahoma: Perceptions from Members of the Oklahoma State Legsilature STATE SPENDING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN OKLAHOMA: PERCEPTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE OKLAHOMA STATE LEGISLATURE By NATHAN A. WOOLARD Bachelor of Science in General Studies University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK 2007 Master of Public Administration University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 2009 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION May, 2014 STATE SPENDING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN OKLAHOMA: PERCEPTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE OKLAHOMA STATE LEGISLATURE Dissertation Approved: Dr. Stephen Wanger Dissertation Adviser Dr. Kerri Kearney Dr. Tami Moore Dr. Eve Ringsmuth ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS An excitement has been building deep within me (to the morrow of my being) ready to release at the thought of FINALLY being done with this process. I’ve saved this acknowledgements section to the very end to express my deepest gratitude to all who have assisted. Let me first thank my former bosses at the University of Central Oklahoma, Stacy McNeiland, Stephanie Kahne, Dr. Myron Pope, Dr. Adam Johnson, and Dr. Jay Corwin for always encouraging me and allowing the freedom to participate in this process. Special thanks to Drs. Adam Johnson and Jay Corwin for providing their wisdom on the process and expectations. I also would also like to thank the bash brothers, Bob Ault, Dr. Lane Perry, and Dr. Jarrett Jobe, for giving me advice, good vibes, and cool high fives throughout. Lane and Bob, thanks for being my best friends…kind of. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my dissertation committee – Dr. Stephen Wanger, Dr. Kerri Kearney, Dr. Tami Moore, and Dr. Eve Ringsmuth for their advice and guidance. I would like to especially thank Dr. Stephen Wanger for continuing to work with me and teaching life lessons well beyond a doctorate and dissertation. I was able to develop personally in regards to ethics, spirituality, humility, modesty, and perseverance which made me a better human being. All of which I am grateful. Last, but never the least, thank you to my adoring wife, Lauren. She caught me at the beginning of the dissertation process and had to listen to it all. Thanks for providing me a soft pillow on the nights I was slamming my head on the keyboard and for filling iii Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. my coffee when empty. You were always there and deserve more credit than I can write here. Thank you Lauren, I love you so very much. iv Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. Name: Nathan Woolard Date of Degree: MAY, 2014 Title of Study: STATE SPENDING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN OKLAHOMA: PERCEPTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE OKLAHOMA STATE LEGSILATURE Major Field: Educational Studies Abstract: A significant body of literature in political science and economics demonstrates that a variety of competing interests impact state spending for higher education. With a changing political landscape and declining university operating budgets funded by state governments, the future of public spending for higher education is uncertain. This dissertation examines state legislator perceptions of state spending for higher education in Oklahoma. In this dissertation, I attempted to explore how legislators perceive state spending for higher education and determine the process by which participants seek to understand higher education’s level of financial need in Oklahoma. This qualitative study aimed to explore these perceptions through legislative session observations, committee documents, and participant interviews of legislative members and legislative assistants. The study found that Oklahoma has a higher education governance system with high autonomy, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE). The OSRHE receives money for all public higher education institutions in a lump sum appropriation. The lump sum is one component of a large omnibus budget bill that legislators vote on for all state agencies. Because of higher education’s autonomy and the methodical appropriations process, there is little need for most legislators to have an intimate understanding of how public institutions operate financially. The findings suggest that higher education’s autonomy and the appropriations process impact how legislators understand and perceive higher education operations and spending habits. The perception of spending habits may have long-term implications on higher education appropriations in Oklahoma. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................1 Background of the Study .........................................................................................2 Problem Statement ...................................................................................................5 Research Questions ..................................................................................................5 Significance of the Study .........................................................................................5 Overview of Methodology .......................................................................................6 Research Perspective .........................................................................................6 Methods..............................................................................................................6 Delimitations of the Study .......................................................................................7 Definitions of Key Terms ........................................................................................7 Summary ..................................................................................................................9 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE..................................................................................11 Search Process .......................................................................................................12 Conceptual Framework ..........................................................................................13 Historical Overview ...............................................................................................14 Universities as Instruments of War ..................................................................15 Universities as Agents of Social Capital ..........................................................21 Universities as Economic Instruments .............................................................23 Summary ..........................................................................................................25 Public Spending and Public Policy ........................................................................26 Political Decision-Making .....................................................................................27 Interest Groups and Lobbying ...............................................................................33 Effects of Interest Groups ................................................................................33 Lobbying for Higher Education .......................................................................34 Summary ..........................................................................................................35 State Spending for Higher Education in Oklahoma ...............................................36 Governing Boards and Funding .......................................................................36 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education ...............................................40 Functions ..........................................................................................................41 State Legislature Appropriations Process ..............................................................42 OSRHE Appropriations Process ............................................................................42 Conclusions ............................................................................................................44 vi Chapter Page III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................46 The General Perspective ........................................................................................46 Statement of Purpose .............................................................................................47 Research Context ...................................................................................................48 Participants .............................................................................................................49 Legislator Participants .....................................................................................49 Staff Participants ..............................................................................................50 Instrumentation ......................................................................................................50 Participant Interview Protocol .........................................................................51 Observation Protocol .......................................................................................51 Data Collection ......................................................................................................52 Concealing Participants ...................................................................................53
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