I agree with the first and third paragraphs but not the second. I don't believe campus administrators are the weak link. The truism among elementary teachers is

I agree with the first and third paragraphs but not the second. I don't believe campus administrators are the weak link. The truism among elementary teachers is: forty years ago, when the student comes home with an F, the parents yelled at the student; today they yell at the teacher. The US has a shortage of skilled trades workers, I think because everyone "deserves" to be a white collar professional now. I am not saying university admins are commendable, but rather that they have no room to do a good job. It's becoming less and less clear what a good job would be, as the liberal arts education becomes more and more of an obvious anachronism. Rather I believe your first paragraph is the larger answer. We have tossed aside the notion for sacrifice for the greater good.