"Views on the importance of college differ widely by partisanship. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to say:
It’s not too or not at all important to have a four-year college degree in order to get a well-paying job (50% of Republicans vs. 30% of Democrats)
A college degree is less important now than it was 20 years ago (57% vs. 43%)
It’s extremely or very likely someone without a four-year college degree can get a well-paying job (42% vs. 26%)"
Wow -- this is on target, and hits at the core of what's eating away confidence in our country's institutions of higher education. We have fewer and fewer pure teachers and more and more staff, administrators, and Third Assistant Vice Provosts for Student Thriving. That US News and World report college ranking set off a domino effect that has everyone focused on meal selections in the cafeteria and luxury buses for away sports games. Not everyone needs to be a philosopher or a human geographer or a political scientist, but all need to learn how to think, critically and creatively, especially in these mass media dominated times. "Consuming content" without information literacy leads to cognitive indigestion, outright confusion, or parroting platitudes. Maybe the hour has come round at last for some kind of “invisible college” (Crane 1972), amongst unaffiliated but engaged thinkers, like Mark Hopkins on the log.... Can this be done online? I wonder.
A few thoughts:
- What about Open University? Expanding the idea? [Open University - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_University)
- Views on education are influenced by politics:
"Views on the importance of college differ widely by partisanship. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to say:
It’s not too or not at all important to have a four-year college degree in order to get a well-paying job (50% of Republicans vs. 30% of Democrats)
A college degree is less important now than it was 20 years ago (57% vs. 43%)
It’s extremely or very likely someone without a four-year college degree can get a well-paying job (42% vs. 26%)"
- [Is a College Degree Worth It in 2024? | Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/05/23/is-college-worth-it-2/)
GOP and Heritage Foundation want to eliminate US Department of Education, reduce funding for public schools: [Opinion: What Project 2025 Could Mean for Education](https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/opinion-what-project-2025-could-mean-for-education)
- [Project 2025 - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025)
- [Project 2025 Publishes Comprehensive Policy Guide, ‘Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise’ | The Heritage Foundation](https://www.heritage.org/press/project-2025-publishes-comprehensive-policy-guide-mandate-leadership-the-conservative-promise)
Wow -- this is on target, and hits at the core of what's eating away confidence in our country's institutions of higher education. We have fewer and fewer pure teachers and more and more staff, administrators, and Third Assistant Vice Provosts for Student Thriving. That US News and World report college ranking set off a domino effect that has everyone focused on meal selections in the cafeteria and luxury buses for away sports games. Not everyone needs to be a philosopher or a human geographer or a political scientist, but all need to learn how to think, critically and creatively, especially in these mass media dominated times. "Consuming content" without information literacy leads to cognitive indigestion, outright confusion, or parroting platitudes. Maybe the hour has come round at last for some kind of “invisible college” (Crane 1972), amongst unaffiliated but engaged thinkers, like Mark Hopkins on the log.... Can this be done online? I wonder.
I guess we'll find out!