The suggestion was made, in an EMail thread, that the Federal Government could insert itself and clean up this problem for not-for-profit colleges and universities.♥ Below are a couple of responses to that suggestion:
There is a potentially dangerous implication of this, namely that the federal government has the right and, possibly, obligation to emesh itself into the administration of private, not for profit universities including the potential to dictate curricula whether or not the universities agree. Personally, I believe that that is an extremely dangerous precedent.That is my underlining. I would note that neither of the commenters come across to me as "Tea Party" members. Both are thoughtful academics.Good thinking and I agree. Curriculum was not something I was considering at all for any kind of university, but rather annual rates of increase in tuition driven by expenditures on things not directly related to a university's primary mission of teaching and research - notably capital investment projects, rather than in classrooms, libraries and labs, and expansion of administrative bureaucracy.
Agree the government intruding on university curriculum (which I expect soon anyway under the guise of "accountability") would be generally pernicious.
In addressing the Education Bubble we need to find a way to avoid an economic meltdown of the lower middle class. At the same time we need to resist the spread of [generally pernicious] Government influence in Academia. One of the things that has helped in the formation and growth of Western Democracy has been the relative independence of colleges and universities. And, for every Harvard or Brown there is some Land Grant school keeping the balance. Together, they have helped to make this a great nation.
Regards — Cliff
♠ Apparently the experts are now using the term "Tulip Mania", but in doing so they are losing some moral clarity.
♥ As I recall, the Administration is already making noises about regulating and controlling "evil" for-profit post secondary educational establishments.
1 comment:
First, and foremost, the "education bubble" "problem" is much more sociological than economic and educational. A college degree has been oversold, both by the academic industry and by the society in general. "Go to college and be something" or "You can't succeed if you don't get a college education."
These are now timeless myths that have taken on the specter of timeless truth.
Second, and very much connected to the first, "from a socio-economic" perspective, just what IS the "lower middle class?" Who makes up that "class" and more importantly, "Why?"
There seems to be something in the liberal mind set that thinks that there should be no classes...that everyone ought to be "equal" and therefore, the "lower middle class" should essentially get the same societal and economic benefits accorded to upper class...or millionaires and billionaires. But if you accept that posit, then why bother with a college education at all.....
The truth be known, the folks who occupy the "upper" classes do so out of industry....not necessarily intellect. I have a very close friend who I've known since we were in the first grade. He graduated from high school at close to the bottom of the class, never went to college because nobody would accept his GPA and his father couldn't afford it anyway. Now we are in our "golden years" and his is worth several million dollars. NO. He didn't strike it rich. He just worked very, very hard and found a lot of lemons that he turned into lemonade.
If there really IS a need to "educate" a class of folks who don't or can't go "to the university," I would suggest pointedly that "occupational education" is the way to go...and it has been undersold and besmirched by most of society as a "dumb track." Well...anyone pay a plumber or a HVAC specialist lately??? His collar may be frayed and black where it ought to be blue...but his 35' cabin cruiser and his 5000 sq ft house attests to the value of his "education."
We need to stop hand wringing about "the education bubble" and enable our society to simply find meaningful and productive work. But then, to do that would require that the "entitlement" generation that is the occupiers and their confederates might actually have to DO something beside whine.
BTW....the "education bubble" is much more a hysterical media invention that has been born and bred in the hearts and souls of liberalism. If you say the sky is falling enough times...you can bet people will begin buying helmets and living underground.....
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