I replied to your post LB, just cuz :)
Thank you, abb, for the posts: I find Mr. Jennison's comments heartfelt, possibly fairly common among many Dukies and, therefore, relevant observations.
darby - please do not think I am insensitive to the plight of the Duke Three. My only point was that Duke students are there for the education and that, in fact, a Duke degree does provide entree into many desired corporation's consideration. I do care about Evan, Seligman and Finnerty equally. That is why I wear a wristband - a constant reminder of their situation. My apologies if my statement came off as uncaring. If I didn't care, I would not be here.
JLS - I am not going to debate you as to what is a good vs. a bad university. I will state my personal opinion and be done with it. A good university is one which can produce a graduate who is happy - with himself and with his career - 10, 20 and 30 years after graduation. In my opinion, that universtity has done it's job to guide it's students in the right direction. You may say that this is not the university's job. You may be right; in which case, the university is merely a foil - everything is up to the student. As I said to Sarah earlier, an excellent student will excel regardless of what their alma mater happens to be. Will a "prestigious" alma mater help them to land the first job (and possibly even the second)? Absolutely! But it is up to them to make it work. In the most conservative of business philosophies, "If you don't produce, you're outta here!" Tenure and seniority are liberal concepts.
bjc: How do we get faculty to voice an opinion? (and should we?) Good question. I have to work on my thoughts about that one....