>But a credential and even the prestige of a university is rooted in its effectiveness as a learning institution. If these institutions are shown to be inferior

>But a credential and even the prestige of a university is rooted in its effectiveness as a learning institution. If these institutions are shown to be inferior learning environments to other alternatives their capacity to credential will surely diminish. I think the author is blissfully unaware of the fact that universities are often judged (from the outside) on their effectiveness not as "learning institutions," but as markers of belonging to a particular social stratum. The existence of anachronisms such as "legacy admissions" seems to merit this view. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/09/28/at_the_elite_colleges___dim_white_kids?mode=PF http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/arti...