Education Barriers: Access Limitations - Part I
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION
One of the problems facing Western society, especially in the US, is access to higher education. There are several factors that are preventing access to education past the 12th grade of public school. These factors include, but certainly are not limited to, the following:
The High Cost of Higher Education
Inadequate Preparation for Post-Secondary Education
Unequal & Improper Accreditation Processes
Poorly Implemented Technology
Poorly Planned Programs of Instruction
Lack of Alternative Delivery Methods
Continuation of the “In Loco Parentis” Modality
THE HIGH COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION
The first and foremost factor is the cost. Even with the assistance of federal and state grants, loans and scholarships, the cost of education has skyrocketed. My alma mater, Calumet College of St. Joseph (Hammond, IN), charged $92.00 per semester hour when I graduated in 1986. Calumet College was considered expensive at that rate, but even more so when all the fees were added into the mix. Almost 20 years later the cost of a semester hour of instruction is, with fees and tuition, almost $400. That means a single standard 3-hour course costs $1200 without the cost of books. The cost of books is over-inflated, to the point that a cost comparison of a “normal” book versus a “college” book reveals a 5:1 price markup. Add a few additional fees for health care insurance, parking permits and user fees for college equipment, a standard full-time student is paying almost $6000 per semester. While state-sponsored schools are cheaper, they also have additional fees, making the difference almost insignificant. If we add the cost of room and board, which most colleges and universities inflate as well, then the costs are even greater.
A simple comparison of the cost of a Ph.D. program in the US and other countries illustrates the issue of cost. A master degree program at a state-sponsored university costs between $10,000 to $20,000, depending upon the degree requirements. Pursuing the Ph.D. will cost another $12,000 to $25,000. Add books, housing, transportation, and decreased income while pursuing the degrees and the cost of a Ph.D. at a state-run school ranges from $28,000 to $60,000. Having investigated external degrees from other countries, all of which are recognized within the US, the cost of completing a master and doctoral program runs from $10,000 to $15,000, plus the cost of books and other necessities.Needless to say, the cost at a private institution—not necessarily an “Ivy League” school—can cost as much as three times what it costs to attend a state school.
INADEQUATE PREPARATION FOR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
The second factor, in order of importance, is readiness for the rigors of college level study. Currently we are in a process of “dumbing down” the requirements for college achievement. Anyone experienced in teaching at the post-secondary level has felt the pressure to lower the standards for completing a course. There is even a process of “incidental evaluation” whereby instructors steer students under their advisement away from particular instructors because of the difficulty associated with that professor. The requirements for writing essays, journals and research papers. Students are arriving at post-secondary institutions unprepared, or under prepared, to write effectively. In direct relationship to being improperly prepared to write, a majority of students are not prepared for the amount of reading and study required for post-secondary study. As a result, there are seats in our finest institutions of higher learning being filled by students from outside of the country that used to be filled by home grown candidates. While this observation may seem to suggest a prejudice against foreign students, it is not meant to be that pejorative. It is merely a statement of fact. Our colleges are actively seeking students from outside of the nation’s boundaries to maintain a stream of revenues to keep the institution financially sound.
As a significant side effect of having students unprepared to read, write and study at a post-secondary level, there is a rise in cheating, plagiarism and the purchasing of research papers. The rise in the presentation of purchased papers and plagiarism is illustrated by the use—at considerable cost—of anti-plagiarism software and web services. Classroom instructors are required to monitor and proctor exams more carefully if they are genuinely concerned with the quality of student being produced under their instruction. However, many post-secondary institutions now have such lax honor codes and require such degrees of proof for cheating and/or plagiarism, that charges of plagiarism and cheating often go un-addressed. Many of my colleagues have fielded complaints that some of the college entities designed to provide advisory and counseling services are actually aiding students in producing plagiarized papers, homework and other assignments. In one case the black student council hired a person to help member students write papers. As it turned out the advisor/tutor was practically writing the papers, or directing the students to better students that would write the papers for a fee.
Students that are non-native English speakers often find “help” from resources that they themselves do not consider improper. Some many years ago I attended St. Louis University (SLU) and made friends with a dozen or so students from Spain. SLU has a couple of sister campuses in Spain and France and offers a degree completion option that brings students to the St. Louis campus. While I often offered my services as an editor and typist for my Spanish friends, I insisted that they do the research and write the first draft. I charged a mere $2.00 per page for the typing and editing, and the editing was strictly limited to basic grammar and structure. If I discovered a major flaw in the research or premise of the paper, I would discuss these problems with the author, guide them to resources and ask they correct the problems before I finished the papers. Oddly enough, I did the exact same thing for several medical school students and found these native English speakers to have as many grammar and structure problems as the non-native English speaking students, albeit the patterns of mistakes were distinctly different. Arab students attending US institutions also have problems with being prepared for writing and research at the higher education levels. Colleagues of mine had friends from Kuwait attending Indiana University (Bloomington) who spoke English well enough, but had no skill at writing a paper in English whatsoever. Since these students were sponsored by the Amir of Kuwait they had sufficient financial resources to buy paper writing resources. Through a series of greasing the wheels with sufficient cash, the “Kuwaiti Boys” (as they were known on campus) lured graduate students in need of cash to write papers.
November 2, 2005
One of the problems facing Western society, especially in the US, is access to higher education. There are several factors that are preventing access to education past the 12th grade of public school. These factors include, but certainly are not limited to, the following:
The High Cost of Higher Education
Inadequate Preparation for Post-Secondary Education
Unequal & Improper Accreditation Processes
Poorly Implemented Technology
Poorly Planned Programs of Instruction
Lack of Alternative Delivery Methods
Continuation of the “In Loco Parentis” Modality
THE HIGH COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION
The first and foremost factor is the cost. Even with the assistance of federal and state grants, loans and scholarships, the cost of education has skyrocketed. My alma mater, Calumet College of St. Joseph (Hammond, IN), charged $92.00 per semester hour when I graduated in 1986. Calumet College was considered expensive at that rate, but even more so when all the fees were added into the mix. Almost 20 years later the cost of a semester hour of instruction is, with fees and tuition, almost $400. That means a single standard 3-hour course costs $1200 without the cost of books. The cost of books is over-inflated, to the point that a cost comparison of a “normal” book versus a “college” book reveals a 5:1 price markup. Add a few additional fees for health care insurance, parking permits and user fees for college equipment, a standard full-time student is paying almost $6000 per semester. While state-sponsored schools are cheaper, they also have additional fees, making the difference almost insignificant. If we add the cost of room and board, which most colleges and universities inflate as well, then the costs are even greater.
A simple comparison of the cost of a Ph.D. program in the US and other countries illustrates the issue of cost. A master degree program at a state-sponsored university costs between $10,000 to $20,000, depending upon the degree requirements. Pursuing the Ph.D. will cost another $12,000 to $25,000. Add books, housing, transportation, and decreased income while pursuing the degrees and the cost of a Ph.D. at a state-run school ranges from $28,000 to $60,000. Having investigated external degrees from other countries, all of which are recognized within the US, the cost of completing a master and doctoral program runs from $10,000 to $15,000, plus the cost of books and other necessities.Needless to say, the cost at a private institution—not necessarily an “Ivy League” school—can cost as much as three times what it costs to attend a state school.
INADEQUATE PREPARATION FOR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
The second factor, in order of importance, is readiness for the rigors of college level study. Currently we are in a process of “dumbing down” the requirements for college achievement. Anyone experienced in teaching at the post-secondary level has felt the pressure to lower the standards for completing a course. There is even a process of “incidental evaluation” whereby instructors steer students under their advisement away from particular instructors because of the difficulty associated with that professor. The requirements for writing essays, journals and research papers. Students are arriving at post-secondary institutions unprepared, or under prepared, to write effectively. In direct relationship to being improperly prepared to write, a majority of students are not prepared for the amount of reading and study required for post-secondary study. As a result, there are seats in our finest institutions of higher learning being filled by students from outside of the country that used to be filled by home grown candidates. While this observation may seem to suggest a prejudice against foreign students, it is not meant to be that pejorative. It is merely a statement of fact. Our colleges are actively seeking students from outside of the nation’s boundaries to maintain a stream of revenues to keep the institution financially sound.
As a significant side effect of having students unprepared to read, write and study at a post-secondary level, there is a rise in cheating, plagiarism and the purchasing of research papers. The rise in the presentation of purchased papers and plagiarism is illustrated by the use—at considerable cost—of anti-plagiarism software and web services. Classroom instructors are required to monitor and proctor exams more carefully if they are genuinely concerned with the quality of student being produced under their instruction. However, many post-secondary institutions now have such lax honor codes and require such degrees of proof for cheating and/or plagiarism, that charges of plagiarism and cheating often go un-addressed. Many of my colleagues have fielded complaints that some of the college entities designed to provide advisory and counseling services are actually aiding students in producing plagiarized papers, homework and other assignments. In one case the black student council hired a person to help member students write papers. As it turned out the advisor/tutor was practically writing the papers, or directing the students to better students that would write the papers for a fee.
Students that are non-native English speakers often find “help” from resources that they themselves do not consider improper. Some many years ago I attended St. Louis University (SLU) and made friends with a dozen or so students from Spain. SLU has a couple of sister campuses in Spain and France and offers a degree completion option that brings students to the St. Louis campus. While I often offered my services as an editor and typist for my Spanish friends, I insisted that they do the research and write the first draft. I charged a mere $2.00 per page for the typing and editing, and the editing was strictly limited to basic grammar and structure. If I discovered a major flaw in the research or premise of the paper, I would discuss these problems with the author, guide them to resources and ask they correct the problems before I finished the papers. Oddly enough, I did the exact same thing for several medical school students and found these native English speakers to have as many grammar and structure problems as the non-native English speaking students, albeit the patterns of mistakes were distinctly different. Arab students attending US institutions also have problems with being prepared for writing and research at the higher education levels. Colleagues of mine had friends from Kuwait attending Indiana University (Bloomington) who spoke English well enough, but had no skill at writing a paper in English whatsoever. Since these students were sponsored by the Amir of Kuwait they had sufficient financial resources to buy paper writing resources. Through a series of greasing the wheels with sufficient cash, the “Kuwaiti Boys” (as they were known on campus) lured graduate students in need of cash to write papers.
November 2, 2005
posted by Jim Downey at 5:21 PM
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