High School with Ashtrays

Submitted by Jack Ajzenberg (Canada), Dec 27, 2002 at 15:18

To confuse Higher education with the drivel and dross packaged for mass consumption at most North American universities is a further exacerbation of the epidemic. Universities are big business in fact; from the hunt for endowments, to the corporate consortiums funding targeted for-profit research; from the lowering of Academic standards to the low art of students negotiating for marks; From hard sell National advertising campaigns promising Nirvanna and enlightenment at pastoral campuses throughout the continent, to special interest academic chairs endowed in perpituity by nefarious benefactors seeking posterity on a wall plaque or a library wing; these elements interalia, have contributed to recreating the university into a 'Factory' designed for the mass manufacture of degree holders driving hacks, tending bar and selling long distance cellular services.

In light of these alarming trends,it should come as no surprise to both casual and sophisticated students of the state of our universities that the nature and design of many academic undergraduate programs and courses are a function of "What sells" or "What is Cool" or"Cutting edge". In effect, academics driven by market considerations and "narrowcasting" as opposed to intellectual discipline ,rigour and development. Academics will foster criticism of the dominant culture, the Patriarchy, Elitism etc., with the subterfuge that this pablum is really critical thinking. Professors will rain on the parade because that is much easier and gets a quicker rise from their disinterested neophytes than understanding the mechanics of floats or their operational design; Students with axes to grind, monkeys on their backs and bearing grudges against Mommy and Daddy for some transgression against their inner child only they understand, are willing fodder for opportunists armed with Phds, seeking tenure and a soapbox.
Change acceptance standards and the university will change; Vett courses carefully and thoroughly, and the atmosphere will change; Convince parents that their child's undergraduate years is not a free pass for a 3-4 year absolution from parenting responsibilities nor, a never ending summer camp for their pampered children and then, and only then will we take back the Night that has fallen on our insitutions of higher learning

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