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The blog post unfairly juxtaposes two different aspects of the university (research and getting undergrads degrees): Bloomberg is focusing on research: he unde
by rubidium 14y ago
The blog post unfairly juxtaposes two different aspects of the university (research and getting undergrads degrees):
Bloomberg is focusing on research: he understands the academy, the intellectual body of people collaborating, discussing and rubbing elbows. Research that happens in a "physics building, a school of public health, a children's hospital, a stem-cell research institute, a malaria institute, and a library wing" cannot happen at all the same "online". New buildings, especially institutes and hospitals, can make a HUGE difference.
Cuban seems to be addressing and entirely different point, which is that for many big universities their income comes from being a degree-mill for undergraduates (which often, unfortunately, just the absorption and regurgitation of information.), and as such are focusing not on quality education and research, but on looks and prestige. A fair enough criticism, but not contrary to Bloomberg's donation.
- rm999 14y agoBloomberg went to Hopkins as an undergraduate student, and that experience is largely why he donates so much money to Hopkins. A big chunk of his current and past donations went to non-research aspects of undergraduate life (scholarships, improvements to the undergraduate campus, improvements to buildings that serve undergraduates, etc). Also, his donations have gone to things that traditionally are associated with looks and prestige, like the new buildings and moving parking to underground garages. I think part of what Bloomberg is doing is allowing the Hopkins undergraduate school to be what any top-rate university would want to be without making the kinds of sacrifices that Cuban is critical of.