When a field of study becomes important in the mind of the public, should a university respond? It probably will put resources behind that field; but many times that is only because it isn't listening to Robert Maynard Hutchins comments on … [Continue reading]
“We’re Frighteningly in the Dark About Student Debt” – But Even More in the Dark About What We Are Buying
March 22, 2015 by
We’re Frighteningly in the Dark About Student Debt - NYTimes.com. I commented as follow: (Please note the "fixes" to the poor writing I submitted.) We are loaning money to naïve - and by definition - uneducated "consumers" so that they can … [Continue reading]
Scientists “Forced” to Cheat Says Medical School Professor
March 21, 2015 by
That statement is immediately after the bullets in this article. Amid a Sea of False Findings, the NIH Tries Reform - Research - The Chronicle of Higher Education. Poor scientists! "Forced" to cheat to get all that money. (Top medical school … [Continue reading]
Good News: Today’s Anxious Freshmen Declare Majors Far Faster Than Their Elders – WSJ
March 20, 2015 by
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. … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
Graph in The Economist is flawed
March 17, 2015 by
Technology and universities: The log-on degree | The Economist. This graph shows an increase from 1992-2015 of almost 100%, but that is the increase in advertised tuition. The true, or net, increase is 22%. There is a link to the data on my blog … [Continue reading]
Measuring Benefits of Smaller Amounts in Same Container
March 16, 2015 by
Is your degree worth it?: It depends what you study, not where | The Economist. There is a fallacy in these statistics. I commented. Just as consumers can be fooled into believing that today's can of "whatever" contains the same amount as … [Continue reading]
More On Holden Thorp
Interview: Jay Smith And Mary Willingham, Authors Of 'Cheated' : NPR. I commented. " I'm surprised that no one has mentioned what happened to Holden Thorp, the Chancellor of UNC. First, though, here is a quote from Greg Easterbrook's … [Continue reading]