Archives for October 2013

New York Times: Concern for the Humanities

Tamar Lewin wrote this front page article in the Times today: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/education/as-interest-fades-in-the-humanities-colleges-worry.html?hp I expressed my concerns which I pasted below. “There several reasons to be concerned. There is what Jonathan Jacobs at John Jay College points out is the inability of many graduates to even recognize a rational argument.  A subgroup of these graduates teaches […]

How Can Frank Bruni Be Excited About Change in K-12 Without Change in Higher Ed?

Change in K-12 does matter but I don’t see how it can help a lot without the change in higher ed that I advocate here.  Here is a link to his op-ed, followed by my comment. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/opinion/bruni-a-bold-bid-for-better-schools.html?ref=opinion&comments&_r=0 ” From whence cometh these teachers?  They cometh from the universities, many of whom seek fame and fortune […]

Machiavelli on How to Keep Control of a University

I am reading “The Prince” (I would say rereading but it has been so long since I first read it, I don’t think I get to call it “rereading”.) and I came across this quote that I think applies to today’s universities: “…he who would keep a city accustomed to freedom will hold it more […]

New York Times Writes That Average Cost of College Steady Over a Decade

The sticker price has gone up considerably but the discounts have gotten bigger, according to the report that the NYTimes cites.  (Here is the link to the Times’ article http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/25/education/despite-rising-sticker-prices-actual-college-costs-stable-over-decade-study-says.html?ref=us) There must be a reason why the colleges are increasing their sticker price while keeping their real charges the same.  I suspect its marketing. The […]

Washington U.’s News Release – They Are Hard at Work Educating Engineers and Scientists, So They Say

For anyone who has read my “Tale Out of School” (link in top menu above), Washington Univesity’s press release about their grants may seem strange.  Here is the link to their news release, http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/25566.aspx Before reading quotes from the news release (which I put at the bottome), it might be useful to remember what I […]

WSJ Writes That Businesses Want Workers With Math and Science Degrees

But they are having trouble sinceIn terms of basic math and science skills, “we’re really floundering here in the U.S.,”  Mike Russo, Globalfoundries’ director of government relations, said in an interview. .  Here is the article, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303672404579147282887082384 But Washington University in St. Louis says they have been working to fix this, as I wrote in […]

New Page Added

In my previous post, Time Magazine Writes That Americans Have Feelings About Online Education?, I questioned why Americans would think they have informed views on MOOC’s when so many colleges grads know so little.  (See the post for how little, “so little” is.) But then, I could say that about many topics, not just MOOC’s.  […]

Time Magazine Writes That Americans Have Feelings About Online Education?

Unfortunately, “feelings” is probably the right word.  Here is a link. http://nation.time.com/2013/10/16/americans-have-mixed-feelings-about-online-education/ Here is my view which I put in my comment. “Let’s see. Jon Meacham recently wrote, “…barely half [of college graduates] knew that the U.S. Constitution ­establishes the separation of powers. Forty-­three percent failed to identify John Roberts as Chief Justice; 62% didn’t […]

If They Aren’t Learning, Why Does It Matter What They Aren’t Learning

There seems to be a lot of discussion about a “conflict [in higher education] between knowledge and know-how”.  (For example see Jon Meacham’s piece in Time Magazine.  Read more: http://nation.time.com/2013/09/26/the-class-of-2025/#ixzz2hzCFD6hS where that quote was taken.) There is also overwhelming eviedence that students just aren’t learning. – also discussed in Mr. Meacham’s piece.   So, as the title of this post […]