Washington Post:
In an era when college students commonly take longer than four years to get a bachelor's degree, some U.S. schools are looking anew at an old idea: slicing a year off their undergraduate programs to save families time and money.
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
This sounds like a pretty good idea, but I suppose it depends on how it is implemented. From my experience, we learn more outside of school than in it. And for the very experimental and creative autodidact, formal college education and training may not even be necessary.
i am considering abusing the constitution and besmirching american values to bailout worthless degrees from sitting in closets and attics while recycling the paper and ink to be reused on recycled tarp money.
Eliminate all the nonsensical courses whose only aim is to indoctrinate.
And which would those be?
Most liberal arts courses.
Just check out the courses at Liberty U.
math, science, languages.
Why don't you look up Lincoln's educational background. Seriously if you have his pic up the least you can do is know something about the man.
Right, let's start by closing all the theology faculties.
These days it's taking students 5 years instead of 4 to get a bachelor's degree in teaching. It's such a rip-off! It's all about MONEY! Hope these colleges rot!
Great idea. They should get rid of the language requirement. All tht money to learn nothing.
The irony of your misspelling is too hard to not comment on.
night skool, part time, no less....
College is good for some but it's overrated. Take a look at these people that never completed college:
http://www
Just think about this Bush and Obama went to an Ivy League schools...
"College is good for some but it's overrated.
==========
Yep; it never stopped these people from making a living..
-- R. Limbaugh
Limbaugh graduated from Cape Central High School, in 1969. His father and mother wanted him to attend college, so he enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University. He dropped out after two semesters and one summer; according to his mother, "he flunked everything", even a modern ballroom dancing class.
-- S. Hannity
Hannity graduated in 1980 from St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary high school, located in Uniondale, New York. Hannity dropped out of New York University and Adelphi University. He later decided to pursue a radio career.
-- T. Carlson
He attended St. George's School, a boarding school in Middletown, Rhode Island. After graduation, he majored in history at the private liberal arts Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Carlson did not complete his degree at Trinity and says of his time there: "After four years I had met a lot of interesting people, gone to a couple of classes and restored a motorcycle and that was it. And so I wasted my time at college."
-- G. Beck
Graduated from Sehome High School in Bellingham, Washington in 1982, and took a single theology class at Yale University. Beck left Yale due to his divorce. He is self-described “recovering alcoholic rodeo clown with limited education".
Is it fortunate (or unfortunate) that these are the "learned" people whose words are heeded by a vast majority of Conservati
These are very successful people so I'm not sure what you're talking about. For example, using your logic, you should love Bush because he has a graduate degree from an Ivy League school.
What you fail to notice is your elitist attitude. You assume that someone has a piece of paper that they somehow are smarter or wiser. In fact, only after someone has completed a life's work will we fully know what they've accomplished; college doesn't represent work only the ability to do work.
They only reason they are making money is because the Republicans offer them a job to lie. They might have learned something if they'd gone to a community college. Those schools they attended are less known then many reputable CC's.
Bill O'Reilly has the #1 cable news program, not those you mention. Let me add a few more conservatives to your list.
William F. Buckley
Harvard
George Bush
Yale
Michael Steele
Johns Hopkins University
Bill O'Reilly
Boston University
Harvard
Ann Coulter
Cornell
You really would want Billy Joel as your President?
Being President is the pinnacle for some but not me.
The irony of your poor grammar is too hard to not comment on.
And Obama's Ivy League education shows....
Language and grammar are always evolving. I think a British elite would think your grammar, writing style and speech horrific.
Motto: Never act like you know it all. There is always someone who will know more than you. You are not error free.
"College is good for some but it's overrated.
Just like good ole George Carlin used to say:
"(...) they want obedient workers. People who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork and just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime, and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you try to collect it."
"College is good for some but it's overrated.
Just like good ol' George Carlin used to say:
"(...) they want obedient workers. People who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork and just du_mb enough to passively accept all these increasingly sh_ittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime, and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you try to collect it."
We have the Dinner's Ready Microwave food, why not Degree's Ready!
How long would they take in the microwave?
whatthel
----------
Max 15 minutes and it is very cheap as well ........lo
Part and parcel of the entire "vocational" focus on higher ed. Many are now talking of "K-16," and standardized testing isn't far behind for public colleges & universities.
The cuts will come in the humanities - history, English, etc. and students will be able to matriculate without ever having to confront the questions of their place in a larger society (just like their state legislators want it). This used to be called community college or vocational training; it'll soon be the standard baccalaureate. Diploma mills "grant" joke degrees today; what happens when it comes from your state university?
Having lived through this in Texas (and the constant battles to justify humanities courses like U.S. history), I can tell you that without a spirited public defense this is going to happen.
I never thought one generation could dismantle so many basic (and historically critical) institutio
Yes. People need to pay attention to who is proposing this---Lamar Alexander--a gop.
Education system is a dis- aster. It is going to be a painful restructuring, look up the restructuring of the integrated steel industry and stay focused on the auto industry.
Meant to add: For those posters below who say "who cares" about "fluff" humanities courses, I would suggest reading Anthony Kronman's _Education's End: Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life_ (Yale Univ Press, 2007).
And who is deciding amongst all that is available what should be taught for these oh so important humanities courses? I submit they are brainwashing courses that either overly value ancient (and dead wrong) philosophers or trendy politically correct flavor of the year political science.
And history - give me a break. History is written by the winners.
I have never bought this argument that a liberal arts education has any more value than an engineering education or a vocational education.
I'm not saying that people who want to learn humanities shouldn't -- I'm just saying don't foist it on the rest of us "for our own good"
Are you implying unless you go to an ivy league or a so-called reputable college/university for the first two years a community college's first two years is not in par? Ivy league's up nose supporters and afforders talk bad about about other colleges it's bad enough you are doing the same and pairing reputable and excellent community colleges off with a Techinical college or get rich quick scheme local "colleges".
No, what I'm "implying" is exactly what I wrote: universities are DESIGNED to expose students to a variety of courses of study. Colleges do the same (with less program diversity). 2-year and technical colleges are great; but they are DESIGNED to get people through quickly with a specific set of marketable skills. Don't go to a university if you want to get through in less that 3 years (a lot of students can do it in three; the biggest difference today is that most are working 20-40 hours while attending school).
I'm not implying one is better than the other, but they are very different and we should be intelligent enough to understand that they seek different ends.
I understand what you are saying, but quite frankly, you don't really need to be in a college class to learn that stuff. I remember my third year of college I was reading Greek tragedies. On my own. I was bored with the stuff they were giving me, so in my way, I took my education in my own hands and read stuff such as the Greek tragedies and philosophy on my own.
Do not quit your day job.
Agree (completel
What classes are important to take depend on the degree.
I graduated high school with trigonometry under my belt, and at university I had to keep taking more and more difficult math courses that were really a struggle for me. I was doing a fine arts degree. There was no point in making me take any more math classes. I have never used anything I learned in those upper level math courses, and I have forgotten all of it. A waste of time and money.
There are many other places you can learn about humanities. The Daily Show is a more honest look at humanities than college classes I have taken.
if these people were truly worried about saving students and parents of students money, then they would start with the scam, racket of text books. it is little more then legal theft
Totally agree -- here is where one could cut thousands of dollars (but then, it would be the marketplace that took the hit, not those liberal professors; non-starter in the statehouse)
Given that most of those graduating will be unable to obtain jobs anyway, why even bother? Except, of course that most colleges are trying to educate those who learned nothing in high school.
Yes. Why bother with any education? No need for reading and writing or anything else. Let's just lay down and wallow in the mud. Let's return to the Dark Ages. That is what the gops propose for everyone except their children and grandchildren.
I think many people are convinced that no or little college = lack of education. I beg to differ. I would encourage any college age kid who didn't want to go to college or who wasn't sure what they wanted to do, to find out what it is they LOVE doing and what the LOVE learning about, and take their education into their own hands. For many, this might mean they eventually end up in a university, and for others it might mean they learn in other ways, such as apprenticeships, courses (but not matriculated) and finding jobs in their desired area.
ramal
-------
Per your comment, we don't need Education ..........
Let's hope that it is possible to only do 3 years nowadays and still get full time college course credit for a bachelors degree from any school of choice. It would help the economy additionally, if the nation relaxed a few requirements :-)
http://www
Great Idea Finally something.
If a student really wants to they can complete a four year degree in three years already. Our students are not ready to put in the amount of work that is reaquired.
I completed my BA in 3 years. It was an earlier time...lat
Reduce the reguirements. Get rid of fluff classes. I got my degree in 3 years in Europe, where most degrees are standardized to take 3 ears instead of 4. They take less time there because the government pays the tuition, and therefore, they cut the fluffy classes.
In a US university I had to take dance and trigonometry classes for my graphic design / photography degree. It was a waste of time.
you know a lot of us work jobs while going to school. It took me 5 years but i was working full time the entire time.
I couldn't have gotten it done any faster even if I had wanted. Everyones life circumstances are different and most of us don't have the luxury to devote ourselves 100% to school.
A four-year degree could easily be done in three. All that needs to be done is cut out the courses that we already had in high school. Why, for instance, is English and history required? If someone doesn't score highly enough on their S.A.T.s to satisfy those requirements they should be in community college in the first place to catch up.
In Texas, my credits in history from Oregon and New Jersey wouldn't transfer because they didn't include an emphasis on Texas history. I had to take two full semesters over again. How stupid is that?
There are a lot of "fluff" classes, that require additional staffing costs as well. Cut them out.
exactly. Most of General Ed classes dont need to be taught in 4 years of BS. ridiculous.
Teach what people need for the discipline they are pursuing.
Yes. For instance, the only English requirement for anyone pursuing an engineering degree should be technical writing. One course. Anyone yearning for Shakespeare and Chaucer can either take those classes as electives, pick them up in night school later on or just visit a bookstore.
Your posts on this thread have convinced me that some people do not need to bother with a college education. Stoooooopidy cannot be cured.
Texas history is important. And pretty colorful.
The entire idea of a university is to foster a well rounded education, not vocational training. It resonates with the core values of an enlightened (and, in the past, faith-based) electorate. If you a school that simply supplies a degree (like high school) then go on-line. Universities value the fact that ALL disciplines interact, that you are there to learn how to self-educate (not just how to pass a test), and to experience a diversity that (for most) will never be experienced in any other setting.
Where else do we tolerate the laziest and least common denominators to set standards for excellence?
Why downgrade educational levels? In my university days, separate courses were required for all first year students in English grammar, and English Lit. There were no exceptions
You had me until you made the comment "should be in community college to catch up. What about the people in 3rd year of college who can't grasp the mandatory subjects? Where should they go? To some special summer camp until they can pass logic or caculus or Texas history and then re-enter the University?
Your not saying anything about 4 in 3 that hasn't been said already. A bachelors can take 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 years in various parts of the world. The national assumption that we breed the best is so self gloating and foolish. The truth is education is becoming a money making business versus and educational need.
What's next, drive thru college.
whatthel
----------
OMG ..........
IA!!
Be green...ge
Loading comments…
First Posted: 05-23-09 01:03 PM | Updated: 05-23-09 01:12 PM