Low Productivity, What Impact Does Education Have?

US innovators claim they have never been busier, but their ideas are persistently failing to transform the country’s economic data. Labour productivity fell an annual 1.9 per cent in the first three months of the year, while unit labour costs rose Source: Low productivity alarms US policy makers – FT.com I commented but more in […]

Bankruptcy Trustees Claw Back College Tuition

trustees can sue to take back money…if a trustee finds that the person didn’t get “reasonably equivalent value” for that expense.. Source: Bankruptcy Trustees Claw Back College Tuition Paid for Filers’ Kids – WSJ, I find this article very interesting, especially the fact that many schools don’t fight the suit.

The Headline is Correct; But For the Wrong Reason

Why getting a four-year bachelor’s degree brings large benefits to those seen as marginal. Source: College for the Masses – NYTimes.com Here is my comment. “Back then, a high school education was the new ticket to the middle class. Today, a college education is.” This is patently not true. Study after study contradict this – […]

FedEx Closing in on Stanford

Earning season is upon us, so I compared FedEx’s yearly income to Stanford’s “change in net assets” (They are a non-profit, so they only have to count how much more they are worth.) In the most recent fiscal year, Stanford’s change in net assets was $3.5 Billion. FedEx’s profit was $2.1 Billion. Here are the links […]

The Upwardly Mobile Barista – The Atlantic

The Upwardly Mobile Barista – The Atlantic. I commented. “I’m a former math professor. (I last taught at Wash. U. in St. Louis.) This article describes a wonderful and laudable effort by Starbucks’s Howard Schultz. But it never asks the question: What’s between the buns? Is there really any beef wrapped up in those degrees? […]

Do the Richest (Universities) Have Enough? And A Contest for Grads:)

Rich colleges and universities are getting a lot richer, study finds – The Washington Post. You can explore further by clicking on “endowments” in the Tag Cloud (on the right).  I especially recommend this post for some financial facts that surprise many; or, if you are familiar with financial statements, look at schools like Stanford.  […]

Gov’t Appropriations Per Student UP dramatically; Learning Per Student DOWN dramatically

Another comment I made on, The Real Reason College Tuition Costs So Much – NYTimes.com. “…appropriations per student are much higher now than they were in the 60’s…” (end of paragraph six), but learning (and later earning) per student has decreased dramatically – even at many so-called “elite” schools. (There is much evidence that demonstrates […]

When Is It Ok For a Non-Profit To Misrpresent Its Fees to the Public?

The Real Reason College Tuition Costs So Much – NYTimes.com. “This is just another peak behind the door that hides the real goals and social order of America’s system of “higher” education. But its not only public schools that play fast and loose with their descriptions. Private colleges do, also – most even more so. […]

“Colleges…monitor…their pricing strategies” Writes James L. Doti, President of Chapman University

The Dangers of Tuition Discounting – Commentary – The Chronicle of Higher Education. This article should be informative for parents and students. But I have this question: should non-profits whose “product” is a public necessity have a “pricing that they call something else – like a “scholarship”?