Today’s Anxious Freshmen Declare Majors Far Faster Than Their Elders – WSJ. But they need advice. I wrote. I am a former professor who taught at Washington University in St. Louis. With honest advice these earnest students will do well. Unfortunately, they cannot count on college officials to always give them that honest advice. In the words of David Riesman […]
Good News: Today’s Anxious Freshmen Declare Majors Far Faster Than Their Elders – WSJ
March 20, 2015 by
Law Schools Keep at It – But That is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
March 18, 2015 by
Law Schools Face New Rules on Reporting Graduates’ Success – WSJ. I commented. The take away from this story – and from stories about college athletics – is not that Law Schools – or athletic departments – are corrupt. Colleges are corrupt. Very few people would buy a product from a corporation that has […]
UNC Chancellor Resigns Over Numerous Scandals – Then Immediately Swept Up by Washington U. as “Chief Academic Officer”
March 12, 2015 by
Book Review: ‘Cheated’ by Jay M. Smith and Mary Willingham – WSJ. I just read this review and will soon get the book. I will only quote one line from the review: “The best-case analysis of Mr. Thorp is that he was hopelessly incompetent; explanations go downhill from there.” Where are the faculty at Washington […]
“Task Force Wants Simplified Oversight of U.S. Colleges” Of Course, It Does.
February 13, 2015 by
Task Force Wants Simplified Oversight of U.S. Colleges, Universities – WSJ. I think if you read my comment about the composition of the task force, you won’t need to read the article. “…The group, made up of 16 college presidents and higher education experts…” Fourteen of these “…higher education experts…” [For my readers I have […]
Colleges’ New Aid Target Sometimes is Just a Way to Make More “Profit”, Especially at Private Schools.
December 30, 2014 by
Colleges’ New Aid Target: the Middle Class – WSJ. Here was my comment. “Most private universities have only raised their published tuition. For over a decade, their net tuition has remained fairly constant. Basically, they give a discount by calling it “financial aid”. (I think economists call it discriminatory pricing, a way to maximize revenue and profit.) […]
An Example of College Benefitting From the Dumbing Down of High School
November 18, 2014 by
Remedial Courses in College Stir Questions Over Cost, Effectiveness – WSJ. Here is what I wrote. “From decades of observation – as a math professor – I can shed light on a fair amount of the problem. Poor high school education starts in college, not high school. In a nutshell, here is what happens. (Actual cases, […]
Looks Like Marketing to Me “New on Campus: The 3-Year Degree”
November 6, 2014 by
You can read the article,New on Campus: The 3-Year Degree – WSJ – WSJ#livefyre-comment. or just read the quote from it on my comment. ” First note this fact, from “Academically Adrift” by Arum and Roksa: Students are reguired to study 45% less than in the 60′s, and 35% less than in 1980. Gain in […]
Don’t Let Colleges Conflate Budget Crises With Money Grabs – To The Detriment of Their Citizens
October 9, 2014 by
This story is about state schools admitting out-of-state students over in-state ones just for tuition. But that is not the whole story, as I described in my comment, posted below. Colleges’ Wider Search for Applicants Crowds Out Local Students – WSJ. “Yes, budgets have been cut – but that is not the whole story. […]
Colleges’ Use of Adjunct Instructors Comes Under Pressure – WSJ
Colleges’ Use of Adjunct Instructors Comes Under Pressure – WSJ. I commented. “What matters is not whether a university uses adjuncts; what matters is how a university sees its students and what goals the administrators have for themselves. If the university sees students as naïve consumers; and the administrators’ goals are self-aggrandizement (from rankings and money), then the university will fit David Riesman’s description, […]