Posted on 09/08/2019 7:44:43 AM PDT by DeweyCA
4. Every college needs to understand its positioning ..., but critics argue that most schools are content to compete with “identical mediocrity but better gyms.” For what, with whom, and on what dimensions should our institution compete?
5. What is quality, and how should it be measured? Are our programs rigorous enough? Are our students learning enough? Should we care about (and seek to measure somehow) their development outside the classroom?
6. If we were building from scratch, would we make almost every program the same four-year duration? If not, how would we know how long each program should be? Should we unbundle how our credentials work—making them less clumpy by giving a credential at the end of each year, or at some other, more frequent interval?
7. We're witnessing the emergence of high-quality, low-cost ways of learning online. How should we think about hybrid curricular options—that is, the mixing of new forms of pedagogy with old—that might be available to us? How will this affect the residential model?
9. Given the likelihood of more demand for education from mid-career students, fed by the ongoing technological disruption of the workforce, will the expanded supply of mid-career education come mostly from existing elite schools, existing non-elite schools, non-schools becoming schools, or newly created schools?
11. Should we have more differentiated types of faculty roles? Should we create new tracks for faculty members who are able to harness technology to teach hundreds or thousands of students—both residential and remote? Should these roles be tenured? Should the potential compensation be higher?
14. If the state’s community colleges could be folded into our system, would you want them? Why or why not?
16. How should the university balance advancing the educational attainment of the state’s current residents against addressing the state’s long-term workforce needs?
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Thank you, and best wishes to you as well!
My oldest son was a C-ish student at CC until he took a job at Burlington Coat Factory, the low end of low-end retail. Seeing what life was like for people without education turned him into an A student.
He’s the one who has graduated from the university, and he has an excellent job - related to his degree! - his own car, and a cat.
“My oldest son was a C-ish student at CC until he took a job at Burlington Coat Factory, the low end of low-end retail. Seeing what life was like for people without education turned him into an A student.”
My first job was at JC Penny, started at 16 at the local mall, lasted for several years and that was when I realized I didn’t want to do retail for the rest of my life. Started waiting tables while going to college. Your son and I have had a very similar trajectory in life, believe it or not. I even own my own car and 2 cats. Still working on the wife problem, too many break ups, not ready to go MGTOW yet.
It’s a sad story set in an unjust universe. Does it end with a job as a Walmart cashier? Drug addiction and suicide? Homelessness and penury?
Or back home with mom and dad?
3 things:
End tenure. (donning asbestos underwear, now)
Make Colleges and universities guarantee student loans in whole or in part
Get as many classes online
My son hopes to move to the Big City, like New York or L.A., so he’s avoiding personal attachments. When he’s not at work, he goes out with his sister, who is going to college full-time after nine years in the military.
I told mine that I would not pay for a hobby degree/major. It had to be degree as a minimum that would stand on it’s own at the bachelors’ level. That meant choose from business to STEM majors excluding biology & economics. If they could arrange it and do a double major then OK. They could minor in whatever but there had to be a foundation degree where they could get a job. My wife & in-laws were all opposed to on this! I was mean & “limiting”. I stood my ground, I ended up right and every now acknowledges it. All now have advanced Science degrees with assorted “hobby” minors & well paying jobs they like.
American universities - bump for later...
How long before 4year colleges offer great coding 2 year degrees?The answer is offering 2 year degrees at a fair price.
Imagine if students could defer college admissions for two years and design what they want to do in that 2 years.
The two-word answer to the question behind the questions posed in the article: accreditation bodies. The unasked question: What is standing in the way of colleges asking themselves these questions in order to have a unique selling proposition that would attract & keep students to degree completion with subsequent success in the workforce?
Peak Brick & Mortar Higher Edumacation is rapidly receding in the rear view mirror.
Don’t really have much choice. Everybody can think something sucks, but with no alternatives, it lands in “whatja gonna do” territory.
Wasn’t there a Supreme Court case, which overruled the use of intelligence tests for employment? I think I’ve heard of court cases on the subject, which in turn led businesses to require a college degree for various types of jobs.
There are a variety of tests used for employment today.
Homeland Security has a test of various skills and aptitudes for TSA (I know because my wife took it and failed. ;-) ).
Various retail employers have skill and aptitude tests as well.
Most jobs are learned on the job. If a certain job didn't need a degree in 1950 it doesn't need one now.
Solution to real-world experience: Employers should use internships to identify the bright and eager potential employees.
Solution to the real-world intelligence test: The SAT, ACT, GRE, and GED exist now. They have been proven to be unbiased. And...insurance companies that issue workman's compensation insurance can identify the level of literacy and numeracy needed to do a particular job safely for the employee and customer.
But college administrators and faculty don’t want to face reality.
****************
The admins and faculty created this mess and it was no accident.
The only question colleges are asking is how can they scam more money for less effort and further their leftist indoc mission.
That’s a really good observation.
But Ben Sasse has NO questions about collegiate education and ideology?
I find that rather hard to believe because ideology is suffocating critical thinking.
More likely, Atlantic editors said— no you may not include those questions in your article.
Atlantic likes the ideology of universities.
“Meanwhile, in Raleigh there is N.C. State. “
Yes there is. A lot of idiots are still majoring in fine arts at the NCSU School of Design, though. Locally they are known as “designos”.
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