An earlier version of this column included St. Thomas Aquinas among the 16 schools that earned the highest marks in an American Council of Trustees and Alumni survey of 714 institutions' commitment to general education. The version below has been corrected.
Colleges come up short on what students need to know
Sunday, August 15, 2010It is generally true that you get what you pay for, but not necessarily when it comes to higher education.
A study scheduled for release Monday about the value of a college education, at least when it comes to the basics, has found the opposite to be true in most cases. Forget Harvard and think Lamar.
Indeed, the Texas university, where tuition runs about $7,000 per year (Harvard's is $38,000) earns an A to Harvard's D based on an analysis of the universities' commitment to core subjects deemed essential to a well-rounded, competitive education.
In other words, Lamar requires courses that Harvard apparently considers of lesser value. These include six of the seven subject areas used in the study to gauge an institution's commitment to general education: composition, literature, foreign language at the intermediate level, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics, and natural or physical science.
Harvard has comprehensive requirements for only two of these subjects -- composition and science.
The study was conducted by the nonprofit American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) to help parents and students determine where they might get the best bang for their buck. It was timed to coincide with the release of U.S. News and World Report's annual evaluation of the "best" colleges and universities, which is based primarily on various statistical data, reputation and prestige.
ACTA focused its efforts on requirements as a measure of what an institution actually delivers. Anne Neal, ACTA president, is quick to point out that the grading system doesn't tell the whole story about an institution but does offer a crucial part that has been missing.
On a user-friendly Web site, "What Will They Learn?" (http:/
In other findings, public institutions are doing a relatively better job than private schools of ensuring that students receive basic skills and knowledge -- and at a considerably lower price. But both public and private universities are failing to ensure that students cover the important subjects, notably economics and U.S. government or history.
Among the reasons for this void in "the basics" is that many professors prefer research to teaching, and course content often reflects that. There's no paucity of subjects to choose from, which is part of the problem. More courses equals more expense equals higher tuition. The question is whether the offerings are of any value.
At Emory University, for example, to fulfill a "History, Society and Culture" requirement, students may choose from about 600 courses, including "Gynecology in the Ancient World." At the University of Wisconsin at Madison, a "Humanities, Literature and Arts" requirement may be met by taking an introduction to television. Neal, herself a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, doesn't dispute that these may be excellent classes. "But the question being asked is whether this is the only exposure a student is getting when going to university."
Students given so many choices aren't likely to select what's good for them. Given human nature, they'll choose what's fun, easy or cool -- and not early in the morning or on Fridays. It's up to universities to guide them away from the dessert tray to the vegetable courses they need to develop healthy minds. Neal says that colleges have abdicated that responsibility.
"It's ludicrous to take an 18-year-old and give them hundreds of choices when they don't have any basis for making a decision."
At a time when the cost of higher education is increasingly prohibitive -- and emphasis tends to focus on status -- students and parents can find solace in the possibility that a better education can be found in one's own back yard. This doesn't necessarily mean that a student at Lamar will learn more than one at Harvard. As some argue, intellectually motivated students indeed may find what they need anywhere. And students properly guided may fail to absorb what is offered.
But the study and Web site do fill a gap so that parents and students can make better choices. As a consequence, colleges and universities may be forced to examine their own responsibility in molding an educated, well-informed citizenry.
- Select All for Comparisonhttp://www.whatwilltheylearn.com/a-list
- Baylor University
- City University of New York - Brooklyn College
- East Tennessee State University
- Kennesaw State University
- Lamar University
- Midwestern State University
- St. John's College (MD)
- St. John's College (NM)
- Tennessee State University
- Texas A&M University - College Station
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
- Thomas Aquinas College
- United States Air Force Academy
- United States Military Academy
- University of Arkansas - Fayetteville
- University of Dallas
Study sez: Lamar is better than Harvard
Way better!
Washington Post columnist, Pulitzer Prize winner and conservative contrarian Kathleen Parker is our new favorite writer. What does she stand for? Who the heck knows, but she loves her some Lamar University so she must be AMAZING.
Her Sunday column is a gift wrapped in red for the people that promote the university. After Jimmy Simmons reads her piece, he should get on the horn and offer her an honorary doctorate for simply being so darn awesome.
She writes about a new study that assesses the “value” of a modern college education. The study’s conclusion: “forget Harvard, think Lamar.”
Poetry!
Indeed, the Texas university, where tuition runs about $7,000 per year (Harvard’s is $38,000) earns an A to Harvard’s D based on an analysis of the universities’ commitment to core subjects deemed essential to a well-rounded, competitive education.
In other words, Lamar requires courses that Harvard apparently considers of lesser value. These include six of the seven subject areas used in the study to gauge an institution’s commitment to general education: composition, literature, foreign language at the intermediate level, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics, and natural or physical science.
Harvard has comprehensive requirements for only two of these subjects — composition and science.
Cheaper AND better. Given that student loan debt has now — for the first time ever — surpassed credit card debt, this study is even more timely.
Only 16 schools received an ‘A’ grade in this study, conducted by the nonprofit American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA). Among the other top “values,” were Texas schools: Baylor and A&M (both College Station and Corpus) and the vaunted US Military Academy at West Point. The complete list can be found HERE.
When you’re faced with the notion of shelling out thousands so your kid can be free to smoke weed during the day, you at least want to know that when they actually attend class, they might be learning something of value.
Lamar could use a similar tagline, although we suggest they clean it up for brevity’s sake (and ditch the pot reference). How ’bout this new slogan?
Lamar: The Harvard of Southeast Texas.
No need to thank us, Jimmy. We’ll send you the bill.
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