I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Discuss today what is happening on campus non-athletically; departments, non-athletic facilities, professors, recognitions and issues. No athletics allowed.
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IM42lane
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I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by IM42lane »

This would impact the whole country, and sports programs are included.


Take Action On Tax Reform - You can contact your members of Congress.

____________________________________________________________

While reforming our nation’s tax code is overdue, Tulane University remains
concerned about many provisions in tax reform bills currently pending in both
the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

We oppose:
Eliminating the deduction for interest in student loans.
Making graduate student tuition waivers count as taxable income.
Eliminating tax exemption for tuition assistance for employees and dependents.
Eliminating tax-exempt financing for construction projects.
Eliminating deductions for certain contributions to athletics programs.
The proposed excise tax on university endowments.


We strongly believe these provisions will directly impact Tulane, our students,
employees, and their families. We are working closely with other universities,
national organizations and members of Congress to refocus the debate but we need your help.

You can learn more at: http://www.acenet.edu/Pages/Higher-Educ ... eform.aspx

Sincerely,

Arman Sadeghpour, Ph.D.
President, Tulane Alumni Association

James E. Stofan
Vice President for Alumni Relations
A.S. Madere ("Pete")
2005 Dennis Drive
Hammond, LA 70401-1519


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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by hosea »

Thought this was a sports forum not a political board.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by gerryb323 »

hosea wrote:Thought this was a sports forum not a political board.
Yeah, I got it too, but definitely would be "political in nature"
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

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From a practical standpoint, the grad student tuition waivers and tuition waiver/discount for faculty/dependents would have major employment impact on the Tulanes of the world which have massively raised "retail" price of tuition. All tbd.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by WaveProf »

Considering Tulane is mailing alumni about it, providing blurbs for faculty to tweet about it (and encouraging them to do so), and actively talking to the press about it...... it easily seems appropriate for yogwf (even if discussion of it might not be)
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by CT Wave »

I understand that universities would not like these proposed changes to taxable income. But I am hard pressed to say this change would be inequitable. When I was in private employment, various benefits (outside of compensation) I received were taxable.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by waverider »

Baywave1 wrote:From a practical standpoint, the grad student tuition waivers and tuition waiver/discount for faculty/dependents would have major employment impact on the Tulanes of the world which have massively raised "retail" price of tuition. All tbd.
A friend at work was telling me his friend had a "cushy" State job but just took a job at Tulane so his daughter can attend on tuition waiver. This is the exact thing you are talking about. If he would have to claim an additional $40-50k in income he likely wouldn't have taken the job.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

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WaveProf wrote:Considering Tulane is mailing alumni about it, providing blurbs for faculty to tweet about it (and encouraging them to do so), and actively talking to the press about it...... it easily seems appropriate for yogwf (even if discussion of it might not be)
Only thing would be maybe move to the non-sports Tulane board but it may be of too much importance to be buried.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by PeteRasche »

Move it to the campus news section.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by IM42lane »

gerryb323 wrote:
hosea wrote: Thought this was a sports forum not a political board.
Yeah, I got it too, but definitely would be "political in nature"
You guys have good points about this being 'political in nature'. But, I would also argue that the issues being addressed are also related to sports and have a direct impact on the day-to-day operations at Tulane as well as any other university in the country.

You who give sports/athletic donations to Tulane should think about how this may impact you.

This not entirely political. The sports donations issue is a grey area between politics and sports.

If you want to move this to another area, then I understand. But, at least leave it up here long enough for people to notice that Congress is considering getting this legislation passed. If it does pass, then certain people on this board will be affected
.
A.S. Madere ("Pete")
2005 Dennis Drive
Hammond, LA 70401-1519


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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by Baywave1 »

Just from a practical dispassionate viewpoint of this, the institutions and their employees who would be most impacted by this apparently have little or no political capital with the folks pushing these changes. Perhaps the Tulanes of the world can play catchup on this and lobby successfully to influence/modify/stop them but who knows?

Elections have consequences. When one interest group (here higher education and especially AAU ones with very expensive "retail" tuitions) has gone literally all in (like say 98%+) for the losing side then it is no surprise to see proposals like this from the winners gain traction at that losing interest group's expense.

This is a factual observation not a political or economic judgment on the tax merits of the above.

Meanwhile look for more desperate emails begging for help on this by those negatively impacted.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by WaveProf »

Larger ramifications for this I don't know enough (haven't even read the details) to know. I do know it would GUT Tulane's graduate programs. As in they'd have trouble even filling spots.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by waverider »

WaveProf wrote:Larger ramifications for this I don't know enough (haven't even read the details) to know. I do know it would GUT Tulane's graduate programs. As in they'd have trouble even filling spots.
I would think that's most schools. An Advocate article last week said that none (or nearly none) of lsu's graduate students pay tuition.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

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waverider wrote: I would think that's most schools. An Advocate article last week said that none (or nearly none) of lsu's graduate students pay tuition.
That's the norm, at least for PhD programs (some schools, not TU, use their MA students to "pay" for their PhD students, so those would be some of the exceptions). Typically schools use grad students for cheap labor to teach their freshman level classes, pay them only 10-12 thousand a year for the privilege, but get them to do it by giving them free or near free tuition. Suddenly, at a private school like TU, their tax bill would be almost as big as their annual salary. :shock:
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by Rotorooter »

Baywave1 wrote:Just from a practical dispassionate viewpoint of this, the institutions and their employees who would be most impacted by this apparently have little or no political capital with the folks pushing these changes. Perhaps the Tulanes of the world can play catchup on this and lobby successfully to influence/modify/stop them but who knows?

Elections have consequences. When one interest group (here higher education and especially AAU ones with very expensive "retail" tuitions) has gone literally all in (like say 98%+) for the losing side then it is no surprise to see proposals like this from the winners gain traction at that losing interest group's expense.

This is a factual observation not a political or economic judgment on the tax merits of the above.

Meanwhile look for more desperate emails begging for help on this by those negatively impacted.
Totally agree about elections having consequences, and I might add that tuition costs have exceeded inflation for years, but after 2008, the US Government took over the student loan program. Which means the USG was backing the tuition payment, so colleges increased tuitions to unprecedented levels, knowing they would get paid by the American taxpayer. Schools increased their budgets accordingly, meaning University employees got nice raises. Good for them, bad for the consumer--parents and students. Now we have a Student Debt bubble much like government-backed mortgages.

As for graduate schools, there has been plenty of articles in the WSJ about MBA schools not filling slots and many are being undone. The trend today is for more specialized graduate degrees i.e. Masters of Accounting, Master of Finance, etc. Tax Code reform has nothing to do with this trend.

Sorry to get political, but everyone has to tighten their belt at some time. We all have to work within the constraints of our situation.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by WaveProf »

FWIW I'd be :shock: if the tuition waiver part of the tax plan went through. Like absolutely floored. I think it is highly unlikely, in the end.
“We will expect success in all endeavors and be prepared to assess and hold ourselves accountable when we aren't successful. Tulane is a top 40 academic institution and it should expect nothing less from its athletic department.” --Troy Dannen 11.5.16
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by GretnaGrn »

WaveProf wrote:FWIW I'd be :shock: if the tuition waiver part of the tax plan went through. Like absolutely floored. I think it is highly unlikely, in the end.
Who knows. If it does, it would have a devastatingly negative impact for every university in the country. The tax liability for most graduate student instructors would be most of all of their salaries.

In a way, this is political, but it is also something that would create absolutely devastatingly bad consequences for Tulane and higher education in general.
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As a current graduate student, this would make reconsider suggesting PhDs to future students. I would not have pursued a PhD if this were already in place.
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Post by JDTulane »

GretnaGrn wrote:
WaveProf wrote:FWIW I'd be :shock: if the tuition waiver part of the tax plan went through. Like absolutely floored. I think it is highly unlikely, in the end.
Who knows. If it does, it would have a devastatingly negative impact for every university in the country. The tax liability for most graduate student instructors would be most of all of their salaries.

In a way, this is political, but it is also something that would create absolutely devastatingly bad consequences for Tulane and higher education in general.

This.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by CT Wave »

WaveProf wrote:Larger ramifications for this I don't know enough (haven't even read the details) to know. I do know it would GUT Tulane's graduate programs. As in they'd have trouble even filling spots.
I have to believe that universities have options to deal with this tax plan if it is adopted. For example, greatly reduce the tuition for PhD programs. Since few are paying this tuition, changing the "list price" would not have a negative impact on the school. That is just for one idea that came to mind immediately. There must be others to handle this proposal.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

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CT Wave wrote:
WaveProf wrote:Larger ramifications for this I don't know enough (haven't even read the details) to know. I do know it would GUT Tulane's graduate programs. As in they'd have trouble even filling spots.
I have to believe that universities have options to deal with this tax plan if it is adopted. For example, greatly reduce the tuition for PhD programs. Since few are paying this tuition, changing the "list price" would not have a negative impact on the school. That is just for one idea that came to mind immediately. There must be others to handle this proposal.
This
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by Private Joker »

Tuition, especially at private schools, is like the rack rate at a hotel. It bears no resemblance to true cost of attendance. So tax it as income, and the schools will reduce tuition.

And it will make me smile if donations to university athletic departments -- which are primarily about football -- are no longer tax deductible. Why should the American taxpayer be subsidizing Nick Saban's salary?
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

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Fwiw I don’t think athletics donations should be deductible.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

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Private Joker wrote:Tuition, especially at private schools, is like the rack rate at a hotel. It bears no resemblance to true cost of attendance. So tax it as income, and the schools will reduce tuition.

And it will make me smile if donations to university athletic departments -- which are primarily about football -- are no longer tax deductible. Why should the American taxpayer be subsidizing Nick Saban's salary?
This. And this.
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Re: I just got this from the TU Alum Assn.

Post by windywave »

WaveProf wrote:Fwiw I don’t think athletics donations should be deductible.
and you don't think benefit in exchange for labor should be taxable income either.
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