Posted on 12/27/2016 8:10:36 AM PST by Academiadotorg
A university think tank just published a list of recommendations for paying for college. Perhaps not too surprisingly, they mostly involve increasing taxpayer-funded government subsidies of higher education.
To its credit, the Miller Center at the University of Virginia acknowledges that the economy is worse than the U. S. government claims it is. "Total unemployed, people who want to work but are discouraged from looking, and people who are working part time because they cannot find a full-time job peaked in 2010 but remains at 9.8 percent," the executive summary of "Investing in the Future: Sharing Responsibility for Higher Education Attainment," reads.
Nevertheless, the key word in the recommendations published by the Miller Center is "sharing." The "National Commission on Financing 21st Century Higher Education" primarily recommends that we "increase federal and state institutional support" and "enhance state revenue to support higher education."
"The 14-member National Commission on Financing 21st Century Higher Education is led by two former governors and includes two state legislators, five university presidents and five private sector CEOs," according to the report. Nonetheless, though the quartet of public officials, current and former, who serve on the commission is neatly bipartisan, it consists of partisan Democrats and establishment, maybe even accommodationist, Republicans.
Overpaid intelligentsia.
I disagree with the notion that everyone deserves a college degree or even needs a college degree or is even smart enough to be in college. Whatever happened to Trades & Crafts? I know electricians that are doing quite well along with construction workers and other folk. I think the boom under Trump will create many of these jobs.
And the Academic and other critics of the “military-industrial complex” ignore President Eisenhower’s 2nd warning a couple of paragraphs later in that same farewell speech:
“Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades.
“In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.
“Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.
“The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present
• and is gravely to be regarded.
“Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientifictechnological elite.
“It is the task of statesmanship to mold, to balance, and to integrate these and other forces, new and old, within the principles of our democratic system — ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society.”
President Eisenhower’s entire farewell speech is at: http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/indust.html
I certainly don’t believe a ‘student’ doesn’t deserve an education (through student loans backed by government, grants or other minority considerations) in ‘Counseling, history, art, music, literature, black/yellow/brown or other studies, gender-studies, psychology, sociology, bitter womens’ studies or any of that crap.
The education they should be getting should be focused toward contributing to society - not its downfall through constant carping, complaining and demonstrating about the ‘ills’ heaped upon their worthless snowflake asses.
I would like to see all federal funds going to colleges be pulled and reevaluated based on S.T.E.M. scores. No more federal loans to would-be lawyers, actors, poets, social justice warriors, community organizers, or journalists. Let the state or the communities subsidize that themselves.
Would like to see a chart/map of where all academic federal dollars go and a breakdown of the Majors of federal student loan recipients.
Student loans for real life learning skills
Lefty college professors, who couldn’t make a living in the real world, are living off taxpayer programs, ancient endowments and off the backs of students piling up debt.
If students really wanted to protest something, they should demand colleges get rid of these leaches, and deliver affordable education that is worth something.
The last time I audited a class at my alma mater, the associate professor truly saw himself as one of the elites of society and was bitter that he did not get paid enough to afford more car than his small SUV.
He spoke down to the underclassmen, saying that based on his travel to Europe, he had a more sophisticated “world view” than they.
I guess the proles are not working hard enough to prop up his salary with more tax dollars and easy student loans.
Needless to say, I’ve not been back.
Damn shame Ike couldn’t have had one more term.
In a segment last night on Fox, Tucker interviewed Mike Rowe of the "Dirty Jobs" series. Rowe said he knows welders making six-figure incomes working on the Dakota pipeline. Then again, that involves being stuck out in the Dakotas working in winter.
In the Philadelphia area, I see lots of welder job listings offering $20-30/hour, full time, with benefits. One job offered $45/hour as a contractor.
If Academia spent just a few dollars doing what they have taught consultants to do...they could cut the costs by 30-50%.
Of course, that would mean cutting non useful programs, slashing research, and allowing the football team to drop a couple of divisions and whither on the vine.
What good is academia if instead of thinking, it is used to agree only with government propaganda?
I have one child in college, #2 next year, #3 2019, #4 2022, #5 2027. No loans so far.
When I went to college my family paid $3800/year. When I went to medical school, it was $1600/year, the State of NY paid half and I paid the rest.
The status quo is so absurd, on so many levels, it’s hard to even think about it, much less write about it.
Unless and until federal student loans are abolished, the problem is going to get worse and worse.
Basically, it is a subset of the problem of substituting debt for money, so as to enslave the world.
I would like to see federal fund eligibility be based on graduates being employed at a salary which would enable repayment of the loans. I would bar federal fund eligibility for majors which do not justify their tuition.
I would want institutions to effectively co-sign loans, with the feds being able to claw back the funds for graduates who default.
“Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. “
One solitary inventor named John Britten did demonstrate what can be accomplished competing against factory sponsored motorcycle racing teams. An amazing story.
About 5-7% of the twelfth-grade population is smart enough to be in a real college.
No one deserves an education.
Kill off "Studies".
Let the "Student"-Athletes join a minor league system.
You hear a lot about “Academic Freedom.” What about “Academic Responsibly?” Universities should be responsible for graduating their students with a marketable skill and holding down the debt these students incur so that it does not ruin their lives. So far the academics get an “F” in these areas.
Perhaps I should have said “deserves an opportunity for an education.” The crux of the matter is who ends up paying for it.
Further, you forget that it has been a long standing practice for this country to provide a basic education for children here in the lower grades.
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