Posted on 08/24/2011 1:27:35 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
The fundamental fallacy is that education is treated as a commodity when it is a personal transformation experience. -- John Frederick, provost, University of Texas at San Antonio
Just as Texas was gaining momentum in its effort to boost more of its universities to world-class status — an accomplishment that would make them tremendous economic development engines for the state — Gov. Rick Perry, his advisers and his university regents kick off a new debate by pushing for more “efficiency.”
The push could aggressively move universities toward smaller faculties that concentrate on the number of graduates produced at the expense of the quality of education and the research produced by a relatively small number of students and faculty who focus on subjects off the beaten path.
As the UTSA provost, in the quote above, lucidly told Express-News higher education writer Melissa Ludwig for her story published Sunday about the impact on the assembly-line philosophy emerging in Austin, higher education can not be reduced to numbers.
For example, to judge an institution by the number of credit hours taught by each professor is to take a destructively narrow view of the role of research universities in particular. Higher-education critics veer dangerously toward a one-size-fits-all attitude.
The bottom-line approach also disregards the importance of crucial subjects — such as the top-rungs of math and science — that are not broadly popular with students but develop the crucial professions that push discoveries and job-creating advances in knowledge. Cutting-edge, hard-to-master disciplines attract a small but important cadre of students and professors.
Sadly, the new emphasis on efficiency could easily undercut the effort to create more Tier One universities. Several Texas institutions, including UTSA, are in the early stages of efforts to dramatically improve quality and enhance research as they reach for the Tier One goal.
Texas policymakers must not lose sight of the fact that Tier One institutions spin off companies and high-paying jobs. Abandoning the investment would be a foolish retreat.
Budget difficulties do require making the most of higher education dollars, and universities are willingly tackling that endeavor. Truthfully, Texas institutions of higher education have never been lavishly funded.
But measuring success with a business model is shortsighted and shows a misunderstanding of the purpose and benefits of universities.
If the Lone Star State is going to be an economic superstar over the long run, academia must be nurtured instead of slashed and bashed.
I hope all of these Perry supporters speak Spanish....
I thought of that great graphic earlier today.
LOL!!
Bump!
When he wasn’t yellin’ at Aggie football games or hustlin’ the Good Book he was gittin’ him an Eagle Badge and flyin’ some really big aireoplanes. Kinda nifty huh?
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