Failing to admit mistakes

Answer #5 to the question: Why are college costs soaring?

In order to reduce costs and avoid additional cost increases, something needs to change. Perhaps less money will be spent on the same thing next time around. Funds may be spent differently that gets more "bang for the buck". Liquidity may get invested in a long term project that yields considerable cost savings. Having money to spend may even be seen as part of the chronic problem which calls for finding more economical approaches to solutions.

In each of these instances, spending less money involves admitting a mistake: "We didn't get it right last time". "Our previous effort proved to be over-confident and loaded with questionable assumptions". "The last decision proved to be wrong".

Our minds can admit mistakes when we feel safe among other people. We can confess to errors when we're still learning how to improve ourselves. We can value mistakes when we're experimenting to find out what works the best. If college administrators thought of themselves in these ways, the soaring costs of college could be controlled and reduced. Unfortunately, these are unusual frames of mind in higher ed.

Most college administrators are in danger of getting fired. Most high ranking jobs are "revolving door positions". Most figures in positions of authority get heaving criticized by lower ranking members of the institutions, as well as outsiders. Deans, Provosts, Chairpersons and Presidents are all expected to already know how to do their jobs superbly. Continuing to learn on the job gets regarded as personal incompetence, lack of qualifications and justifications for termination.

This results in people, who decide how the money gets spent, failing to admit their mistakes. They defend their actions and deny any wrongdoing. They invent defensive rationalizations to justify their actions. The guard against getting shot down and fortify their walls that keep criticisms out of their consideration. As a result, the cost of college is soaring out of control wherever leaders are failing to admit their mistakes.