5 ms·

This is the result of the university becoming more of a business than anything else. If you start flunking people out, you lose revenue.

DanielBMarkham 17y ago
This would be true if the business were selling degrees. If the business were selling an education, then it would actually result in increased revenue, since students would have to stay around longer to learn required materials. Lots of business sell education instead of certifications. The problem here is the government stepping in and mucking around with standards, creating financial incentives that looked good in theory but don't work in the real world. This happens a lot with well-meaning politicians trying to "help"
- BrentRitterbeck 17y ago
  Flunking out means you get kicked out. You don't get to stay around longer. With that said, it really doesn't matter to me. I think we let too many people into the university system.
I_got_fifty 17y ago
It might be the socialist in me, but schools should always be public. No business should be involved in educating the next generation. I think of universities more like a R&D department for the general public. (which also is why I think all software developed in universities should be Free)
- lallysingh 17y ago
  Sadly that just leaves politics to control education. Pick your poison.
- miked 17y ago
  Based on what data? Almost every country in the world is more socialist that the (former) U.S. None of those countries' university systems come close to that of the U.S. And what are the best universities in the U.S.? MIT, CalTech, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, etc. (private) vs. UC Berkeley and UCLA (public). The latter two are soon to feel the financial collapse of California.
  - jacquesm 17y ago
    That may have something to do with the immense budgets for defense the US has, a portion of that money goes towards research in universities.

DanielBMarkham 17y ago

This would be true if the business were selling degrees. If the business were selling an education, then it would actually result in increased revenue, since students would have to stay around longer to learn required materials. Lots of business sell education instead of certifications. The problem here is the government stepping in and mucking around with standards, creating financial incentives that looked good in theory but don't work in the real world. This happens a lot with well-meaning politicians trying to "help"

BrentRitterbeck 17y ago
Flunking out means you get kicked out. You don't get to stay around longer. With that said, it really doesn't matter to me. I think we let too many people into the university system.

I_got_fifty 17y ago

It might be the socialist in me, but schools should always be public. No business should be involved in educating the next generation. I think of universities more like a R&D department for the general public. (which also is why I think all software developed in universities should be Free)

lallysingh 17y ago
Sadly that just leaves politics to control education. Pick your poison.
miked 17y ago
Based on what data? Almost every country in the world is more socialist that the (former) U.S. None of those countries' university systems come close to that of the U.S. And what are the best universities in the U.S.? MIT, CalTech, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, etc. (private) vs. UC Berkeley and UCLA (public). The latter two are soon to feel the financial collapse of California.
- jacquesm 17y ago
  That may have something to do with the immense budgets for defense the US has, a portion of that money goes towards research in universities.