I guess I should comment on local news events.
Here is the super-short version of that news item.
- The State of Louisiana has budget problems (like many states).
- Obvious answer to budget problems is to make universities more efficient.
- Have a Delores Umbridge style review of 'low performing' programs.
- Cancel programs with no majors. Combine programs to make them 'more efficient'.
In the end, there are several programs that were 'consolidated' in the name of efficiency. For example, Southeastern's Math degree and Math Education degree were combined. I really don't see how this saves money. However, it does move the new program above the "low completer" level of students that graduate. So, I guess that is good.
Let me make a few ranty points about this whole process.
Math Physics Degree
One of the changes at some universities (like Southern University) is to combine the math and physics degree. Southeastern is able to keep the physics program here (for now). I think this is a pretty dumb move. First, math and physics are different things. In my opinion, math isn't even a science. Seriously, it is a philosophy. I think math is awesome, but you don't create models and compare it to experimental (or observational) data. So, really, they shouldn't be combined.
But physicists use so much math, it just makes sense. Does it? No. History majors write and read a lot. Should history and english degrees be combined? Actually, physics majors read and write a lot too.
I think this might turn some students away from the degree. I suspect students that were going to be physics majors would be ok with this. However, they won't get to take as much physics as they normally would and they will probably take almost the same math courses as they would have as a math major. As for the would-be math majors, they are going to take a lot more physics. At Southeastern, the math majors only have to take 1 physics course (really, they should take more - and some do).
One more point. The Board of Regents staff claimed that combining math and physics was ok. It has been done before. The example they pulled out was Yale College. Oh, they have a Math-Physics degree. However, they also still have a math degree and they still have a physics degree. So, it isn't really the same thing. Also, the Yale version has students take 6 physics and 6 math courses above the intro level. For their physics major, students have to take 8 courses above the introductory level. Yale's Math-Physics is much closer to a double major than what Louisiana is proposing.
Low Completer Programs
Even if canceling low completer programs saved money, would it be such a good idea? I say no. One of the other majors that suffered a blow was foreign languages. Many of these programs were canceled across the state. I think I heard that there are no longer any institutions that offer Latin as a major. Big whoop dee do, right? There aren't many jobs in latin anyway. Well, I contend that a college education is not about job training. College education should be about becoming more educated and becoming more human (doing the things humans do, like math, science, art, music). With this in mind, it seems all the more important to keep a degree program like latin.
Chemistry and Physics and Conditional Maintenance
Since the Department of Chemistry and Physics at Southeastern has low number of graduating students, the chemistry degree and the physics degree were put into "conditional maintenance". This means that they will be reviewed again in 2 years and they better have more majors. First, the physics program has been trending towards more majors over the past 10 years. Second, we are around the national average of graduating students. Third, how are we going to graduate more students in 2 years? Are we supposed to go after some child prodigies that can zoom through a 4 year degree in 2 years? How are we supposed to recruit more students with the threat of cancelation in 2 years looming over us? (this scares even current students who should have no problem graduating even if the program is canceled)
Other Low Performers
This is all very similar to the discussion about Southern University in New Orleans (SUNO). The debate has been that SUNO and the University of New Orleans should be combined since they are so close together. One of the big arguing points is that SUNO is a low performing institution because their graduation rate is so low. I am not sure this is such a good argument. Maybe they have a low graduation rate because they have high standards. Maybe SUNO's student population isn't really ready for college. Maybe SUNO does their best and actually does produce some great students (which I believe to be true). Maybe SUNO has low entrance requirements (they do) such that many students can have a chance at a college degree.
If you want high graduation rates, you really need to have high entrance requirements. Personally, I would rather very low requirements such that many people could give college a try. Some of these students are going to succeed. If you have higher entrance requirements, some of these students would get filtered out. I think the Board of Regents wants both. They want low entrance requirements and high graduation rates. Realistically, the only way to do this is to either just give away the degrees or to turn the university into some type of boot camp.
Ok, I think that is enough ranting for now. Well, let me just say one more thing. Most of these problems come from people (you know who you are) thinking that universities should be run like a business (and that they ARE a business). I don't think that is the way it is supposed to be.
Too bad they don't have Standards Based Grading for institutions.
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