College and the Cost of Reputation

katiuska · 04-27-2010, 04:39 AM

That Old College Lie.

The basic idea of the article is that American colleges and universities are increasingly unaffordable because the quality of education you get at an institution is unknown, and colleges are encouraged to take and spend as much money as they can on specious reputation-building. The solution, then, is public knowledge about how well students are learning at each school, because schools would be forced to focus more on tangible output. I'm not sure if I agree that it would fix everything, but the argument makes intuitive sense to the extent that something genuinely seems to be wrong here. It's no secret that college textbooks are a huge racket, and I've suspected this might apply just as well to the college themselves, because you've got a population of people who have no choice but to pay whatever you charge them if they want to progress their careers. I was lucky enough to have the benefit of scholarships and middle class parents, but a lot of people don't, and it still makes me question whether post-secondary education is worth what it costs, given the disturbingly large number of people who drop out or end up in jobs that have jack all to do with their degree.

Toast · 04-27-2010, 06:10 AM

definitely agree that college costs are out of control. Especially since there are no guarantees that you'll get a job in your field, or a job at all the way things are going.

this article here talks about not getting jobs after graduation and the trends that are happening.

Osterbaum · 04-27-2010, 07:29 AM

Free education. Yup, it's pretty great.

katiuska · 04-27-2010, 05:27 PM

Silly socialists. Don't you know it's a basic human right to be screwed over by every institution whose goals have nothing to do with common good?

Capitalism!

Hanuman · 04-27-2010, 06:26 PM

Mmm, Studies show that col. is a waste of money on average which doesn't include what you learn there or how it changes you as a person, it just a calculation of the earning potential increases on average of all classes.

Personally, I'm in favor of higher education and am trying to get into the Justice Institute (civil servant training) for fire rescue, the course outline can't really be learned any other way... it's not as much reputation as much as it is education so I think there's something to be said, huh.

Magic_Marker · 04-28-2010, 11:23 AM

What we need is reparation of our trade school system combined with properly funded Community College that transfers credits over the the public universities in State.

After, or during that, we can perform tests to see which colleges are any good. From there we go after the textbook industry and just shoot the publishers in the head, because, eh, why not?

Seil · 04-28-2010, 11:37 AM

I'm going to bring this up again. And this.

Since I'm upgrading, and my textbooks transfer from one semester to the other or are incredibly cheap compared to everything else, ($20) I really can't complain until November. I'm hoping to get into the PN course, and it'll take $7500 to get there.

Professor Smarmiarty · 04-28-2010, 12:59 PM

All I have to say is who the shit buys textbooks? For the one time they are needed you can just get them out of the library.
You save yourself a lot of money by not getting them.

But on the original article I totally agree. But universities as a whole are becoming more and more business and profit orientated and about short term goals. At my university we have more admin staff than teaching/research staff which is absolutely absurd.

stefan · 05-01-2010, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smarty McBarrelpants

All I have to say is who the shit buys textbooks? For the one time they are needed you can just get them out of the library.

speak for yourself, I'm pretty sure my college library has an actual rule preventing stocking current textbooks just to force students into buying them.

Mind you, I just buy mine used for obscenely cheap prices, but still.

Professor Smarmiarty · 05-03-2010, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stefan

speak for yourself, I'm pretty sure my college library has an actual rule preventing stocking current textbooks just to force students into buying them.

Mind you, I just buy mine used for obscenely cheap prices, but still.

That's pretty ridiculous. Our library had mountains of set texts and even if that ran out you could get them into short loan where ou get them out for 2 hours at a time so they always available. I assumed everywhere was fairly similiar.
Depends on the courses too I guess, there was reall yno need for textbooks in m courses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nique

You mean College as a social expierience, or as an academic one?

Bit of both- as a general develop into a better, more wordly person sort of thing.
The most important thing I found about college was constantly being met with differing ideas and people that I would never meet anywhere else.

04-27-2010, 04:39 AM	#1
katiuska Unlicensed Practitioner Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 801	College and the Cost of Reputation That Old College Lie. The basic idea of the article is that American colleges and universities are increasingly unaffordable because the quality of education you get at an institution is unknown, and colleges are encouraged to take and spend as much money as they can on specious reputation-building. The solution, then, is public knowledge about how well students are learning at each school, because schools would be forced to focus more on tangible output. I'm not sure if I agree that it would fix everything, but the argument makes intuitive sense to the extent that something genuinely seems to be wrong here. It's no secret that college textbooks are a huge racket, and I've suspected this might apply just as well to the college themselves, because you've got a population of people who have no choice but to pay whatever you charge them if they want to progress their careers. I was lucky enough to have the benefit of scholarships and middle class parents, but a lot of people don't, and it still makes me question whether post-secondary education is worth what it costs, given the disturbingly large number of people who drop out or end up in jobs that have jack all to do with their degree. __________________ If I try too hard my brain explodes, so don't expect me to be witty on purpose.

04-27-2010, 06:10 AM	#2
Toast Existential Toast Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Georgia Posts: 440	definitely agree that college costs are out of control. Especially since there are no guarantees that you'll get a job in your field, or a job at all the way things are going. this article here talks about not getting jobs after graduation and the trends that are happening. __________________ “How dare you! How dare you stand there acting like your brand of suffering is worse than anybody else’s. Well, I guess that’s the only way you can justify treating the rest of us like dirt.” ~ Major Margaret Houlihan (Mash) “If we’re going to be damned, let’s be damned for what we really are.” ~ Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

04-27-2010, 07:29 AM	#3
Osterbaum The revolution will be memed! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: FIN Posts: 5,967	Free education. Yup, it's pretty great. __________________ D is for Dirty Commie!

04-27-2010, 05:27 PM	#4
katiuska Unlicensed Practitioner Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 801	Silly socialists. Don't you know it's a basic human right to be screwed over by every institution whose goals have nothing to do with common good? Capitalism! __________________ If I try too hard my brain explodes, so don't expect me to be witty on purpose.

04-27-2010, 06:26 PM	#5
Hanuman Love Is Strength Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Vancouver/BC/Canada Posts: 1,135	Mmm, Studies show that col. is a waste of money on average which doesn't include what you learn there or how it changes you as a person, it just a calculation of the earning potential increases on average of all classes. Personally, I'm in favor of higher education and am trying to get into the Justice Institute (civil servant training) for fire rescue, the course outline can't really be learned any other way... it's not as much reputation as much as it is education so I think there's something to be said, huh. __________________ If you want to stay connected send me a PM with your email.

04-28-2010, 11:23 AM	#6
Magic_Marker Moonwalk Away. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Dumbfucklahoma. Posts: 1,573	What we need is reparation of our trade school system combined with properly funded Community College that transfers credits over the the public universities in State. After, or during that, we can perform tests to see which colleges are any good. From there we go after the textbook industry and just shoot the publishers in the head, because, eh, why not?

04-28-2010, 11:37 AM	#7
Seil Super stressed! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 8,081	I'm going to bring this up again. And this. Since I'm upgrading, and my textbooks transfer from one semester to the other or are incredibly cheap compared to everything else, ($20) I really can't complain until November. I'm hoping to get into the PN course, and it'll take $7500 to get there.

04-28-2010, 12:59 PM	#8
Professor Smarmiarty Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: K-space Posts: 9,758	All I have to say is who the shit buys textbooks? For the one time they are needed you can just get them out of the library. You save yourself a lot of money by not getting them. But on the original article I totally agree. But universities as a whole are becoming more and more business and profit orientated and about short term goals. At my university we have more admin staff than teaching/research staff which is absolutely absurd.