"Higher Education Is Drowning in BS"

"I have had nearly enough bullshit. The manure has piled up so deep in the hallways, classrooms, and
administration buildings of American higher education that I am not sure how much longer I can wade through it and retain my sanity and integrity."

--Christian Smith, Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame

https://www.chronicle.com/article/Higher-Education-Is-Drowning/242195

"There’s way too much education." [Forbes.com]

The flava:
In a book that was long in the works, George Mason University economics professor Bryan Caplan explains, as his subtitle reads, “why the education system is a waste of time and money.” He is emphatically not against people learning skills and knowledge, but argues that our current system of education does a poor job of that, and at inordinate cost. He would like to see government subsidies for education stopped.

Caplan puts his case starkly: “Most critics of our education system… miss what I see as its supreme defect: there’s way too much education. Typical students burn thousands of hours studying material that neither raises their productivity nor enriches their lives. And of course, students can’t waste time without experts to show them how.”

The article:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeleef/2018/01/29/a-professor-who-argues-against-educational-subsidies/

2 professors, political opposites, urge concept of "civic friendship" [asu.edu]

The flava:

Cornel West, Robert George say at ASU talk that students must challenge their beliefs

Going to college should be an unsettling experience.

University students should be challenging their closely held beliefs in the classroom and among their friends, even when it’s uncomfortable, according to two prominent intellectuals who agree on that point even though they are political opposites.

Robert George, a professor at Princeton University, and Cornel West, a professor at Harvard University, visited Arizona State University on Friday to give a talk
 titled “Truth-Seeking and Freedom of Expression,” sponsored by the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership.


The article:
https://asunow.asu.edu/20180128-sun-devil-life-2-professors-political-opposites-urge-concept-civic-friendship

A submission, from Moriarty from Midland

"I've come to hate my school email.  I never want to see it again.  My private email is freedom.  My work email is slavery, a constant struggle to breathe amid a dense Beijing smog."

Impostor Syndrome [from Wombat of the Copier]

Years ago I taught upper division classes outside of my specialty.  I got the offer and said "Yeah, I can do that, but you know that's not what I do, right?" and it was great.  I did it for years and loved it then
moved on to another position. 

My whole professional life I've coveted teaching "the" course pertaining to the sub-discipline in which I got my post-graduate degree.

I'm not faculty, I'm an admin, but I was in earshot when it came up that they didn't know who to give it to this year so I just blurted out "Let me do it" before I could think.

They said yes.

I'm glad - ok - no regrets - this is the most exciting thing that has ever happened. 

But... I am being crushed under impostor-syndrome stress.  I didn't have this when it wasn't my field - I said "yeah, not me, but I'll do it" and felt free.  This is actually me, so:

1) why is this so stressful (originally I said "why is this so hard?" and it's not - it's not hard at all - it's right in my wheelhouse - this is my thing)

and

2) what do I do about it? 

--Love, WotC

Monday Magic in January

What great thing do you suppose you'll do this week?

Former Financial Aid Chief at Columbia Is Accused of Taking Kickbacks [nytimes]

The flava:

The former director of financial aid at Columbia University’s Teachers College took $375,000 in kickbacks from three graduate students after arranging for them to receive inflated awards, the federal authorities said on Thursday.

In one case, a student received nearly $600,000 in stipends between 2011 and 2017, and kicked back nearly $300,000 to the former administrator, Melanie Williams-Bethea, the authorities said.


The article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/nyregion/former-aid-chief-columbia-teachers-college-kickbacks.html

That's juvenile! [by Suzy from Square State]

It's game time! My first-year, wide-eyed, innocent students were tasked with designing a simple adventure game as a collection of rooms. They were to draw the layout of the game plan for me. Most came up with cute ideas. And then there was Larry and Moe.

Larry and Moe came up with a design that included two round rooms, one on each side of a square
room. On top of the square room were three other squares, and on top of the last square was a half-circle, with the arc on top.

Go ahead and draw it, I'll wait.

Right. NSFW. My immediate reaction.

So I asked them "What is the point of this?" Larry: "Well, the goal is to start here in one of the round rooms and make your way out through the top half-circle." Me: "Ahem. That's juvenile." Larry: "What?" Moe: "But it fits the specification, don't you see?" Me (getting louder so the rest of the class will hear: "I find this design disgusting and juvenile." Larry: "But why?" Me (as loud as I can): "Because a p*n*s design is something that only an immature juvenile would think was cool. Please make another design."

At least they got a little bit red because everyone had now turned around to see what we were talking about. But honestly, what did they expect me to do? Run from the room crying? Or was it an honest accident and they did not realize what they were drawing?

--Suzy from Square State

school

“I never learned anything at all in school and didn't read a book for pleasure until I was 19 years old.”

―Stanley Kubrick

Possibilities, from Compound Cal

10 years ago this week on RYS, this unknown proffie came up with a list of resolutions, all keenly aimed at the start of the new semester. Do any work for you? Or are you so hot you've got your own?

• I resolve to put my family first this year.
• I resolve to put my career first this year.
• I resolve to read more than a week ahead of my students.
• I resolve to make my students lead more classes from now on.
• I resolve to get closer to my students, to be their friend and mentor.
• I resolve to remind myself that I'm there to be a professor, not my students' best friend.
• I resolve to warm up as a professor. My students will learn better if they like the person who is their leader.
• I resolve to be OK with not being liked.
• I resolve to strike a better balance between teaching and writing.
• I resolve to spend much more time on my research this year, since it's the thing that will help me progress in my career.
• I resolve to quit worrying about my "career," and just focus on doing a good job.
• I resolve to put teaching first, since it's the thing I love the most.
• I resolve to stop making New Year's resolutions.
• I resolve to stop making New Year's resolutions that are stupid.
• I resolve to follow at least one of my resolutions this year. Not this one, though!

--Compound Cal

Hungry New Year

Which one is the one for you?

A.  Science
B.  Religion
C.  Spirituality
D.  Humanism
E.  Art
F.  All of the above
G.  None of the above
H.  This is the wrong question to ask.