May 17, 2010

Some Signs Point to 'Yes'

Going back to work for my favorite M.S.U. (medium sized university), and loving it! Worried, though, about the future. The financial picture blackens . . . http://chronicle.com/article/Will-Higher-Education-Be-the/44400

Posted at 9:57 AM

3 comments:

Your Friendly Mindbloggler said...

I too worked for this M.S.U. in a total of three official capacities, but for two of them I was either singing old Black Sabbath tunes in a high, squeaky Mickey Mouse voice with my co-workers, or listening to massive doses of Concrete Blonde and Jane's Addiction while on the job, so the business impact of either support role might therefore be considered moot, if not in fact harmful to the university's mission. Great times, though.

May 25, 2010 at 9:46 PM
Your Friendly Mindbloggler said...

To comment on that bit of the actual article I can read without having to fork over money, I would have to agree that education, like credit default swaps and 3000 sq. ft. two bedroom homes, is a seriously overvalued commodity in today's economy, and is surely due to undergo a significant correction. Too many people persist in their "irrational exuberance" about being able to analyze and contextualize information, as if doing so had anything to do with the value of your company's stock price tomorrow. It can easily be shown that attempting to think beyond, say, a six month time frame is not only contrary to accepted business practices, but undermines public confidence in our economic system and therefore constitutes a significant threat to American interests in an interconnected global economy.
Sadly, too many intelligent people are still becoming overeducated in our great nation, and most fail to realize that the only practical value of an advanced degree is in the effective marketing of themselves, their ideas, and most importantly their prowess in massively multiplayer online games, which are projected to represent 83% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product by 2015. While these are undeniably vital professional skills, they can be developed through methods that are far more efficient than those currently employed (typically low-interest student loans that proceed rapidly to default upon loss of academic standing).
In sum, the destruction of American productivity through excessive and wasteful education spending must be halted if this nation hopes to regain some measure of its former prosperity and renown. It does not require a college education to understand that we can no longer afford the luxury of graduating intellectuals and thinkers when the economy of the 21st century remains so steadfastly reliant upon producers and consumers.

May 25, 2010 at 10:30 PM
Red Flashlight said...

Did they ask you for money??? DarnitallovertoHeckville. Cretins. Anyway, you get the idea. This article suggests Higher Ed pricing is the next bubble to burst because some people (1) think they don't need a traditional college degree anymore, and (2) they can get the paper they need for their industry from an on-line college, for less money.

I'm speechless.

May 26, 2010 at 4:39 AM

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