Law Schools Keep at It – But That is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

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”

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 […]

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,   […]

“Task Force Wants Simplified Oversight of U.S. Colleges” Of Course, It Does.

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.

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

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”

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

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.   […]

Why Isn’t the Government Collecting Debt From Colleges That Default on Education, Too?

Here is an article from today’s WSJ Student Debt Takes a Bite Out of More Paychecks – WSJ. Here are my thoughts. “For many colleges, students are just a funnel for funds. Nowadays, colleges ask, “What can students do for my school?”, not “What can I do for my students?”. It should be no surprise […]