Radical Idea 1: Privatize remedial courses and use the money going to them now for college level courses.
All remedial courses would no longer be supported by state funds. The Taxpayers paid for the student to learn basic math, English, chemistry, etc when they covered the cost of the K-12 education. Students can still get these courses, but they must pay the non-student rate cost.
Radical Idea 2: Limit state support toward a student's education in all State supported institutions to 150 semester units attempted.
This number of units would allow the student to search around a bit and get a dual degree if it fits their career plan, but make the students take the opportunity they are being given seriously. I have seen students come from community colleges with 80-90 units of course work and then take another 100 or so at a four-year institution. Some CSU campuses have instituted rules in which they award degrees once they student is eligible regardless of if the student has requested, just so they can clear space for the next students.
Radical Idea 3: Any attempt at a course after the second is not supported by the State.
This connects to the two suggestions above.
I hope these at least get some of us talking.
T.S. Hall
Love radical ideas. Many of your suggestions could save money, the amount may not be much but would put more responsibility on students, which they really do need more of.
ReplyDeleteCollege campuses lack real checks and balances which is why they get into trouble in the long run. I think colleges should push for less gov. funding. Why? Because it is cheating. What if you walked into a car lot and the salesman knew you could get $10,000 in gov. aid (loans and grants)to buy a car? The car's price would probably never go below that. Then we would whine for MORE gov. aid! lol
Same thing with colleges, they've kept raising their costs with every funding increase and then cry about even minor reductions later.
Where will the money come from? More private loans that CAN be defaulted on. This would force colleges to keep the value of their education on par with the real world that their graduates must face. Banks are more than willing to lend if they know that a person is increasing their net worth later. No problem! If a student supposedly is worth $1million more with a degree than we should have very little problem obtaining private funds.
It seems very cruel to subject professors to the demands of external forces, but it is necessary so that colleges can be innovative and responsive to a changing world. Students will also be happier and more willing to pay for this.
I have heard the argument that having some else pay increases the price applied to health insurance too.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with that also. That is how we got into the high cost game in education and medical care. I think it is a common fallacy that money is the solution to the problems of education and healthcare. It seems like behavior is more of the problem. Expensive behaviors accrue overtime when people are not allowed to conscientiously make purchases. Many procedures not covered by health insurance or medicare have actually went down dramatically in price (Plastic surgery, Lasik eye surger, Boob jobs, etc.) The best check is straight capitalism where everyone has real interest and accountability riding on their money. It makes us think before we spend and it makes people earn every dollar. Cruel, but cost effective in the long term.
ReplyDeleteCSU system is taking some heat right now:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sacbee.com/1369/story/2309303.html
Trying to make up gov. rules and have people follow them just doesn't work. Use economics not government initiatives to solve problems. Gov. money is like heroin to education. It's utterly addicted to every last penny, more is always better and many university officials have lost the ability to even comprehend life without gov. funding. When it comes up short, the withdrawal manifests itself as layoffs, crisis and fear mongering.
Education and healthcare need a 12 step program.