Higher education leaders must lower tuition costs as Syracuse University faces questions over its nearly $100,000 annual cost of attendance, Adrian College President Dr. Jeffrey Docking told Fox News Digital.
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Docking → lower → Digital
"I think it's incumbent upon us as college presidents and institutions to say, 'Can we start to turn the dial back and lower costs every year for students?'
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we → think → students
And I think we can do that if we work together," Docking told Fox News Digital.
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Docking → think → Digital
"The Syracuse University situation is simply a bellwether for the structural crisis facing higher education nationally," Docking said.
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Docking → face → education
Docking, who has served as president of Michigan-based Adrian College for more than 20 years, previously made headlines when he testified before Congress about innovation and lowering costs in higher education.
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he → serve → education
He co-authored the book "Crisis in Higher Education: A Plan to Save Small Liberal Arts Colleges in America" and is credited with doubling Adrian College's enrollment since taking the helm in 2005.
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co → co → 2005
Docking was reacting to a Wall Street Journal report detailing Syracuse University's steep enrollment and financial challenges.
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Docking → react → enrollment
The Central New York-based institution is saddled with nearly $500 million in debt tied to new residence halls and is facing a 1.5% budget shortfall as it struggles to attract enough students to cover its operational costs.
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it → base → costs
"The problem with Syracuse is that the school thinks of itself as like an Ivy, but it’s not," former Syracuse University Center for International Services Director Juan Tavares told The Wall Street Journal.
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Tavares → think → Journal
The Journal reported that in 2025, those underlying weaknesses collided with a high-profile federal crackdown on student visas, causing Syracuse's international enrollment numbers for both undergraduate and graduate programs to plummet by half.
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numbers → report → half
Syracuse also failed to meet its overall enrollment targets, forcing the school to issue emergency financial-aid packages to attract incoming freshmen.
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Syracuse → fail → freshmen
As students and families increasingly question the return on investment of a college degree, Syracuse increased its tuition to $69,180 for the current academic year—up from $40,458 in the 2013-14 school year.
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Syracuse → question → year
When factoring in room, board, fees and other expenses, the university's total cost of attendance can reach $98,544.
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cost → factor → 98,544
Fox News Digital reached out to Syracuse University for comment.
Rising college costs have coincided with total U.S. student loan balances reaching $1.65 trillion, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Docking called for a total "re-engineering of higher education" to address the crisis.
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Docking → reach → crisis
"[Syracuse is] falling victim to the perfect storm that's out there with international enrollment being down, people questioning the value of higher education, and the fact that many schools are dealing with declining high school graduation rates — especially in northern states," Docking said.
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Docking → fall → states
It's a fantastic place and will remain fantastic," he added.
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he → remain → ?
"But they are just victims of what needs to be a re-engineering of American higher education in the years ahead.
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what → need → years
"
Syracuse University Chancellor and President J. Michael Haynie acknowledged the shortfall, insisting that higher ed leaders must re-evaluate their value proposition to students and families.
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leaders → acknowledge → students
Docking also co-founded Rize Education, a course-sharing platform that allows smaller colleges to collaborate and offer online classes without incurring massive overhead expenses.
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colleges → co → expenses
Through its partnership with Rize, Adrian College has added 27 majors, 13 minors, and eight certificates in high-demand fields like business, technology, engineering, and healthcare.
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College → add → business
His efforts earned him an invitation to testify before the House Education and Workforce Committee and helped Adrian College earn a spot among U.S. News & World Report’s "Most Innovative Regional Universities in the Midwest" for three consecutive years.
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College → earn → years
Docking argued that soaring tuition is driven by operational inefficiency and an insular culture that prevents institutions from working together like private-sector businesses.
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that → argue → businesses
By sharing faculty across institutions via course-sharing, schools can bypass the hefty costs of hiring new full-time faculty.
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schools → share → faculty
They've not worked well together to drive down costs," Docking concluded.
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Docking → work → costs
"The re-engineering has to be a massive effort to bring efficiency to existing institutions."
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engineering → have → institutions
The Aporia
