Americans overwhelmingly support campus-based research but have pervasive doubts about the value of sports.

        Results of a national poll show that we value colleges of all kinds but overestimate their cost so wildly that potential students might shun even the most affordable schools.

        The survey, released this week by the American Council on Education (ACE), relied on telephone interviews during May with 850 adults. ACE said its results should reflect the nation's opinions on the same questions with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

Jane Meier, athletic director for Northern Kentucky University, was saddened that respondents want sports de-emphasized. (Brandi Stafford photo)

        Support for federally funded university research was overwhelming and rose significantly during the past five years.

        And support for using federal money to fund that research, while more modest, doubled during the past five years.

        “People are starting to understand that research is the only way to sustain growth over the long term,” Makram Suidan, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Cincinnati, said Thursday.

        Dr. Suidan, who has drawn millions in federal grants in recent years, said government grants are increasingly important as mergers reduce corporate competition and support for basic and applied research.

Suidan

        Intercollegiate athletics didn't fare so well with the people polled. Support was weakest among college graduates and wealthier respondents. They want sports de-emphasized.

        That saddened Jane Meier, athletic director for Northern Kentucky University, but it didn't surprise her.

        She interpreted the data as a hostile reaction to the fact “that the quality of universities — unfortunately or fortunately — is judged by success on the athletic field.”

        That's “very scary,” Ms. Meier continued, “but that's what's been driving college athletics for years.”

        Other than those touchy questions, the ACE survey differed from other surveys chiefly by asking Americans for their responses to campus leadership.

        Most viewed college presidents favorably but held seemingly contradictory views about roles in the broader community.

        Respondents seldom or never heard from college presidents on “important issues” of regional or national significance but said the executives have “just the right amount” of influence on those same issues.

        Overall, there was good news in this study, albeit hedged with reservations:

        • Higher education is seen as a passport to a better life, but Americans view this almost exclusively in economic terms rather than knowledge for its own sake.

        • Respondents expect a good education at virtually any college, regardless of whether it is a two- or four-year school, private or public, and expect graduates to be prepared to excel in the global economy.

        On the other hand, survey results reflected disturbing findings of recent surveys of Ohio adults, especially about the cost of post-secondary education.

        • ACE found Americans complaining that colleges do not keep tuition affordable, and certain that costs could be cut without pro grams suffering.

        When asked about the actual price of a college education, the public still badly overestimates what it costs.

        • Worse, that information gap is larger than when a similar question was asked in 1998, and the error is greatest about two-year colleges, which are the most affordable.

        Still, respondents were less worried than in 1998 about paying for a college education and more likely to believe they understand and can cope with the burdens of tuition, books and related costs.

        The report, Taking Stock: How Americans Judge Quality, Affordability, and Leadership at U.S. Colleges and Universities, is available for $15 from ACE at (301) 604 9073.

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