Mary Cullinan, president of Southern Oregon University, proposed that her university sever its financial ties to the state by raising more money for an endowment, increasing tuition and enrollment, and keeping students at the school for more than one year when about a third typically leave, according to the Oregon-based Mail Tribune.
Cullinan suggested the move toward financial independence after the state decided to cut the school’s funding, opting to foot 18 percent of the college’s budget instead of its usual 40 percent. The move caused job losses and program cuts.
