I fear too many universities are businesses designed to fund seminars; and students graduating are whether an afterthought or an actual negative for them.
It was related to me that, because they want to keep their customers, one can solve any problem at uni - grades, minor victimless crimes, etc - simply by offering to take more courses. The only problem money can't solve is the one where the student has no more money, and it's over quickly after that (saw that one happen).
It is far worse than that.
Universities have a lot of metrics that they are judged against that don't lead to a quality education. Research doesn't lead to good undergraduate students. A good pass rate just means the curriculum is soft enough to keep don't students from failing.
So you have university presidents who are incentivized to increase prestige and they aren't going to focus on the quality of education because that doesn't lead to better metrics. If presidents try to defend their universities' way of teaching, they get replaced by those who follow the system.
Why I likes the ABET requirement for engineering. Still have an 80% fail rate due to the standards, and you get audited for coursework.
I have yet to meet an employer who will hire an engineer from a non-ABET school.
I fear too many universities are businesses designed to fund seminars; and students graduating are whether an afterthought or an actual negative for them.
It was related to me that, because they want to keep their customers, one can solve any problem at uni - grades, minor victimless crimes, etc - simply by offering to take more courses. The only problem money can't solve is the one where the student has no more money, and it's over quickly after that (saw that one happen).
It is far worse than that.
Universities have a lot of metrics that they are judged against that don't lead to a quality education. Research doesn't lead to good undergraduate students. A good pass rate just means the curriculum is soft enough to keep don't students from failing.
So you have university presidents who are incentivized to increase prestige and they aren't going to focus on the quality of education because that doesn't lead to better metrics. If presidents try to defend their universities' way of teaching, they get replaced by those who follow the system.
Why I likes the ABET requirement for engineering. Still have an 80% fail rate due to the standards, and you get audited for coursework.
I have yet to meet an employer who will hire an engineer from a non-ABET school.