How do universities get away with it?

In the wake of the failed financial industry bailout in the US I am once again thinking about our universities. To be sure, the failed congressional vote was politics. So was the proposal from the White House and the outrage with which it was received. But, given that we were looking at a $700B transfer from the federal government to the banking and financial industries, wasn't it nice and refreshing that politicians were insisting that the money NOT go to pay executive compensation to the CEOs who screwed up in the first place? And that provisions be made for those citizens who had, say, lost a home?

It makes me wonder about our universities because it continues to astound me that governments in Canada provide upteen billion dollars ($20B in 2008) in subsidies to these institutions every year without a single meaningful measure of accountability for the money.

I don't believe that it's wasted money and I am totally down with the mission of universities (whatever one interprets that to be), but it is flatly outrageous that politicians are consistently outflanked by academics on this issue and that they appear more ready to impose accountability and regulation on banks than universities. It's doubly outrageous that the attitude of university leaders (anytime accountability is raised) seems to be that their institutions are above such petty matters - i.e., give us the cash and leave us alone.

How do they get away with that?

Sent from my iPhone