Steeped in tradition

Answer #2 to the question: Why are college costs soaring?

When any kind of industry or enterprise is steeped in tradition, it's incapable of controlling cost increases. It relies on it's customers to go along for the roller coaster ride as the costs soar out of sight. Colleges are a prime example of enterprises maintaining time-honored traditions and legacy practices.

new enterprises continually ask questions like:

• why are we doing this?
• what good is this supposed to be doing?
• is this really necessary?
• what if we make do with half this much?
• what happens if we don't do this part at all?
• what's to be gained by doing it the same way again?
• isn't there a better way to get this accomplished?

All these questions lead to cost savings, efficiencies, synergies and innovations. They help new enterprises stay lean and pass their cost efficiencies onto customers. It allows new products like most consumer electronics come down in price dramatically. These companies not only spread fixed costs over an increasing volume of sales, they get smarter about how to save time, effort and expense.

When enterprises are bound by tradition like colleges are, the answer to these questions is always the same:

• That's how it's always been done around here.
• Don't rock the boat or upset the apple cart.
• It worked before so there's no reason to mess with it.

Without the ability to ask those questions and get viable answers, there's no way for colleges and universities to bring down the cost of what they are selling.