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Administrative staff has increased because of an arms race engendered by lower state support for public colleges which creates a knock on effect for private schools like this one.
I am a liberal arts major and believe in a broad education. I think there is value in learning things outside of a technical major.
But still, there must be some relationship between what an education costs, and what it delivers in terms of earning potential. If people have to take out $100,000 in loans only to find that their degree qualifies them only to wait tables (obviously an extreme case), then it's not worth it.
I don't think most colleges today are delivering value for what they charge. Oberlin certainly isn't at those prices. The whole college model is fundamentally corrupt because government put too much money into it, and schools raised tuition through the roof because they could. College tuition has increased at 3x the rate of inflation for the past 30 years, with no increase in the quality of education. What has increased is administrators, many of whom create problems and add nothing to the educational experience, and expensive physical facilities that have made college a luxury experience for many students.
And college today does not teach students to think critically. Mostly it's a form of indoctrination, with only one set of opinions allowed and anybody who thinks differently and dares to say it being viciously ostracized. You can't learn to think critically from a safe space.
I hope colleges like Oberlin have a lot of problems in the years ahead. Their tuition is ridiculous and much of it goes to pay for administrators pushing dubious political agendas.
I am a liberal arts major and believe in a broad education. I think there is value in learning things outside of a technical major.
But still, there must be some relationship between what an education costs, and what it delivers in terms of earning potential. If people have to take out $100,000 in loans only to find that their degree qualifies them only to wait tables (obviously an extreme case), then it's not worth it.
I don't think most colleges today are delivering value for what they charge. Oberlin certainly isn't at those prices. The whole college model is fundamentally corrupt because government put too much money into it, and schools raised tuition through the roof because they could. College tuition has increased at 3x the rate of inflation for the past 30 years, with no increase in the quality of education. What has increased is administrators, many of whom create problems and add nothing to the educational experience, and expensive physical facilities that have made college a luxury experience for many students.
And college today does not teach students to think critically. Mostly it's a form of indoctrination, with only one set of opinions allowed and anybody who thinks differently and dares to say it being viciously ostracized. You can't learn to think critically from a safe space.
I hope colleges like Oberlin have a lot of problems in the years ahead. Their tuition is ridiculous and much of it goes to pay for administrators pushing dubious political agendas.
That's the narrative being pushed by people on the right of the political spectrum.
Frankly, I don't buy a word of it. There's still a great education to be had in college.
I am a liberal arts major and believe in a broad education. I think there is value in learning things outside of a technical major.
But still, there must be some relationship between what an education costs, and what it delivers in terms of earning potential. If people have to take out $100,000 in loans only to find that their degree qualifies them only to wait tables (obviously an extreme case), then it's not worth it.
I don't think most colleges today are delivering value for what they charge. Oberlin certainly isn't at those prices. The whole college model is fundamentally corrupt because government put too much money into it, and schools raised tuition through the roof because they could. College tuition has increased at 3x the rate of inflation for the past 30 years, with no increase in the quality of education. What has increased is administrators, many of whom create problems and add nothing to the educational experience, and expensive physical facilities that have made college a luxury experience for many students.
And college today does not teach students to think critically. Mostly it's a form of indoctrination, with only one set of opinions allowed and anybody who thinks differently and dares to say it being viciously ostracized. You can't learn to think critically from a safe space.
I hope colleges like Oberlin have a lot of problems in the years ahead. Their tuition is ridiculous and much of it goes to pay for administrators pushing dubious political agendas.
Most students at Oberlin do not pay anywhere near full tuition. As someone else mentioned, endowments can be used for grants and scholarships, but there may be stipulations that prevent endowments from being used for operating costs.
Administrative staff has increased because of an arms race engendered by lower state support for public colleges which creates a knock on effect for private schools like this one.
Can you please explain? Usually you spend more on something when there is an increase in support, not a decrease.
Can you please explain? Usually you spend more on something when there is an increase in support, not a decrease.
The person is referring to state funding. When state funding is decreased, schools have to find money elsewhere. That elsewhere is usually tuition and fees.
I am a liberal arts major and believe in a broad education. I think there is value in learning things outside of a technical major.
But still, there must be some relationship between what an education costs, and what it delivers in terms of earning potential. If people have to take out $100,000 in loans only to find that their degree qualifies them only to wait tables (obviously an extreme case), then it's not worth it.
dazzleman, it is far more than "it's not worth it." That is an indication that the liberal arts institution has failed in its core mission.
The core mission of the liberal arts college is to prepare its students to be better citizens. There was a time 150 years ago where men pursued a liberal arts education (and let's be honest - most all were men) and upon graduation perhaps they pursued a career in government -- say in the State Department. They were learned people (where "learned" is pronounced using two syllables -- "lear-ned") who contributed to society. Or perhaps, graduating from an agricultural & mechanical university they served the country in the "useful arts" (what we now call engineering).
In the modern era, becoming a "lear-ned" person is not enough to be a better citizen. The Liberal Arts college must also prepare its students to contribute to society as measured by their future added-value, and the best way we have to measure that is through their paycheck. Anyone who cannot contribute to society to support themselves cannot be a good citizen.
I think one way to make college more affordable is to drop the elective requirements. If you want to be an accountant, to get your degree all you need to take is classes that lead to you being an accountant.
Since that is not how things operate currently, what difference does it matter what the electives are? Basket weaving, Latin or Introductory to Real Estate, they are all just fillers.
That is basically the British system. It works just fine - as graduates of Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Imperial and LSE can demonstrate. Anyone who thinks those graduates aren't as "well-rounded" as US liberal arts students clearly hasn't met many of them.
Drop electives and make the degree 3 years. Private college costs have reached a ridiculous level. Those who want to take electives and pay for a 4th year -that should be up to them.
That is basically the British system. It works just fine - as graduates of Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Imperial and LSE can demonstrate. Anyone who thinks those graduates aren't as "well-rounded" as US liberal arts students clearly hasn't met many of them.
Drop electives and make the degree 3 years. Private college costs have reached a ridiculous level. Those who want to take electives and pay for a 4th year -that should be up to them.
That's because the British have a different secondary system.
Anyone who cannot contribute to society to support themselves cannot be a good citizen.
There are many good citizens which don't have to 'support themselves' due to someone else in their family(usually spouse) supporting them or due to having family inheritance. Your statement exempts such people from being good citizens simply because they don't work.
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