The Collegiate War Against Merit. Two more Ivies have dropped the Dean’s List.

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | February 28, 2024 | Richard K. Vedder

[karpov]

A story in Inside Higher Ed last week revealed that two more Ivy League schools, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania, have stopped publishing “dean’s lists” that recognize high levels of academic achievement. As one anonymous Penn alumnus put it, “The war against individual achievement continues unabated.” Other Ivies (e.g., Brown and Harvard) had already abandoned—or never really embraced—the concept of recognizing merit in this manner.

These latest moves are still another sign that much of higher education is contemptuous of the values that produced American exceptionalism, among them appropriately and generously rewarded hard work. To some, it is not enough for colleges to promote racism, anti-Semitism, and a war on men (as demonstrated by the underreported sharp decline in male enrollments).

Why is this happening? As Inside Higher Ed interpreted it, “Some universities are working to address a culture of perfectionism on campus, where students feel pressured to earn the highest grades, participate in the most extracurriculars or land the most elite internships.”

Let’s stamp out excellence, the pernicious act of striving to do better, learning more, and becoming more productive students and citizens. In short, let’s show disdain for the attributes that made the United States the most prosperous nation in the world and attracted millions of Americans to its shores.

Additionally, if we reduce published indicators or even our knowledge of student success or potential, we can better disguise our efforts to get around the Supreme Court’s mandate, in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, that colleges stop employing blatant racial discrimination in admissions. This no doubt is a factor in many elite schools abandoning the SAT or ACT as a requirement for admission. (Kudos to Dartmouth and Yale, however, for recently restoring test requirements.) To some college administrators, ignorance is bliss.

[AndyJackson]

I am going to suggest that there are two sides to this. Remember that at elite Universities, in the past, entrance meant that you are already exceptional and headed for great things. But top of the class at one of these institutions shows more that you are a grad-grind doing what you are told than headed off to change the world. Just remember the very clever “it’s a tax” man was a Harvard Summa cum Laude. Merrick Garland was also a high ranking graduate of the same.

[Brian Griffin]

In the future kids might be able to take a few essential community college courses and save their parents big money:

Managing 101
Applied Writing 101
Business Law

Medical Spanish
Construction Spanish
Finish Carpentry 101
Plumbing Code
Electrical Code
Pool Construction
Landscaping
Residential Contract Estimating 101
Development 101

[antidemoncrat]

” two more Ivy League schools, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania, have stopped publishing “dean’s lists” that recognize high levels of academic achievement.”

Hey, they shouldn’t point out some students are smarter or work harder than other students or those poor “C” students might have their feelings hurt or have a hissy fit.

[Bon of Babble]

I have my dean’s list certificates from way back.

Will my home be raided by the FBI b/c they’re now illegal?

[mewzilla]

Ivys are recruiting and training centers for Deep State.

Deep State is threatened by people who can and do take their brains out of neutral.

Nuff said.

[Getready]

Why would anyone go to these schools?
What has happened is the “woke” cult is now a religion and its practitioners are in many official positions. The only thing to do is to go elsewhere and let those woke organizations wither away when their student grads and policies continue to fail in a very real world.

[aquila48]

Bookmark

[moovova]

Extruding students, one blob at a time...

[moovova]

Here's another one I like...

[nopardons]

BTTT

[9YearLurker]

You’ve got it.

[falcon99]

These are supposed to be the smart people, but they are proving every day that they are anything but.

[Myrddin]

When I was attending Revelle College, UCSD in 1974 to 1976, I had a huge incentive to stay on the dean's list. My car insurance for a daily 60 mile round trip was considerably reduced by presenting evidence of being on the dean's (provost's) list. As a 17 year old, my insurance rates would have been much higher without the dean's list consideration.