Privatized student housing and the decision-making process.

摘要

This study will examine the decision-making process used to construct privatized student housing as well as the factors that contribute to that process among public four-year institutions in New Jersey. A growing number of public universities are exploring ways to develop successful public private partnerships (P3s) in an effort to improve services offered to their diverse constituents and, at the same time, fulfill their public missions of providing an excellent academic education at an affordable price. P3s are loosely defined as cooperative institutional arrangements between the public and private sector (Greve & Hodge, 2009). P3s in construction involve private companies in the design, finance, construction, ownership and/or operation of a public sector service or project (Akintoye, Beck, & Hardcastle, 2003).;As public institutions recover from one of the worst economic downturns since the Great Depression, it is increasingly important to leverage the expertise of private partners in generating additional institutional income or reducing operational expenditures. Privatized student housing was purposefully selected as the subject of this study because it offers public institutions the opportunity to recalibrate student housing as an integral part of the missions of public colleges and universities.;The state has recently adopted the Economic Stimulus Act of 2009, which allows public universities and colleges to enter into P3s. Prior to the passage of this act, institutions operated under the State College Contracts Law, which required institutions to publicly bid facilities projects and award contracts to the lowest responsible bidder. These efforts, under the old procurement environment, were cumbersome and inefficient, as contractors were allowed to submit change orders, which increased the cost of construction.;This case study uses qualitative research methods to explore the critical factors that contribute to New Jersey public institutions' decisions to elect privatized or non-privatized student housing. Furthermore, this case study is used to tell stories of key decision makers, as public institutions grapple with the complexities of the P3 legislation, and evaluates the social and political dynamics of the decision-making processes.