Time after time, board members have looked to the governor's office for marching orders. Surprisingly, the governor best known for political power did the least meddling. During Edwards' four terms, boards generally hired presidents who met basic qualifications for the job. A standard aim of reform is to treat education as a business. Because a college brings money into a community, through payroll and student spending, it may be an industry but is far from a business.
Business derives income from the sale of a service or finished product.
A college derives its income from the end product as it goes from the raw to finished stage. It is as if a sawmill charged the saw log to be cut, dried and finished and then gave away the finished lumber. The SAE atop oil cans, USP on aspirin labels and SPIB on lumber stand for the organizations that guarantee quality. Business's goal is to produce items meeting specifications at the lowest possible unit cost. Higher education has its standards as well, from the accrediting agencies that approve the setup and operation of the institutions to the specialized accrediting body that sets standards for the most obscure curriculum.