“Some schools also seem confused about their fundamental academic mission.” David French, NY Times

Here is a link to his excellent piece.

Opinion | How to Reboot Free Speech on Campus – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Here is part of the comment that I posted.

No one could address the current problem better than did David Riesman, one of America’s most revered sociologists, when he wrote, in 1980, that,

“…the “wants” of students to which competing institutions, departments, and individual faculty members cater are quite different from the “needs” of students…” (From “On Higher Education: The Academic Enterprise in an Era of Rising Student Consumerism”)

The “customers” (once quaintly called “students”) don’t “want” to learn real history, certainly not in a challenging way.

Administrators don’t want to criticize “customers”.

Beware Ivy League Advertisements

Opinion | What Students Read Before They Protest - The New York Times (nytimes.com) I commented as follows. Beware. First, a large proportion of Columbia's undergraduates are engineering majors. They don't have to take all the … [Continue reading]

Insightful Piece by George Will in the Washington Post.

Here is a link to it. Opinion | Campus pro-Palestinian protests sap universities’ prestige. Good. - The Washington Post Here is what I posted. This nation's most admired observer of higher education (and a revered sociologist) saw what was … [Continue reading]

Very Funny Opinion Piece in Wash. Post

Opinion | A modest proposal to save higher education - The Washington Post Here is my comment (that a professor didn't like.) Great Idea! They're already off to a running start. They got rid of "students" (a quaint word that is so … [Continue reading]

Elite Film Program Graduates: Median Debt of $181,000, Median Salary $30,000. Think Columbia, NYU, USC and Other Masters Degrees.

After you read this, read some of my posts about "faux" PhDs. ‘Financially Hobbled for Life’: The Elite Master’s Degrees That Don’t Pay Off - WSJ … [Continue reading]

To the Ex. Editor of the NY Times: Maybe Something is Wrong at Colleges?

"[The Ex. Editor] also suggested that colleges aren’t preparing new hires to be tolerant of dissenting views." This is from today's WSJ article, New York Times Bosses Seek to Quash Rebellion in the Newsroom - WSJ . Here is the comment I … [Continue reading]

Keeping Engineering Students in the Program as “Happy Customers” is Wreaking Havoc on American Manufacturing.

America’s Chip Renaissance Needs Workers - WSJ See my comment on the article. Here is what I wrote. Many universities, like the "elite" one where I taught engineers, want happy "customers", not educated 'students". That America doesn't have … [Continue reading]

SMU – FUN! FUN! FUN! Is that what college is for?

I just happened to go to their site. It starts with "SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD TIME". Hmmm. Just type in smu.edu. … [Continue reading]

Universities Don’t Want Much Research Oversight (WSJ)

Here is a link to the excellent article. The Feds Want More Oversight of Scientific Research. Universities Are Fighting Back. - WSJ I wrote a post The Purloined Proof (inside-higher-ed.com about how some well-known professors stole someone's work. … [Continue reading]