And furthermore

[...]it's surprising that universities haven't become corrupt sooner. Unless faculty can regain a prepostmodern sense of abstract integrity, I think the only cure for the current unhealthy symbiosis among weak students, spineless faculty, and corrupt administrators would be to abolish tenu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Academic questions 1999-09, Vol.12 (3), p.6
Main Author: Delaubenfels, Ralph
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Standards
College admissions
College students
Educational Change
Learning
Mathematics Instruction
Scholarships & fellowships
Student retention
Tenure
Tutoring
Universities
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Summary:[...]it's surprising that universities haven't become corrupt sooner. Unless faculty can regain a prepostmodern sense of abstract integrity, I think the only cure for the current unhealthy symbiosis among weak students, spineless faculty, and corrupt administrators would be to abolish tenure for faculty who don't teach the material in their classes, have term limits for administrators, and have all degrees awarded solely on the basis of proficiency exams given by state-wide agencies who are independent of universities--analogous to those required for getting a high school diploma that now exist in some states. Preferential treatment doesn't stop with admissions; it continues with special tutoring, special academic programs, special scholarships, financial aid, cultural facilities, job placement, and--more difficult to document--preferential or "race sensitive" grading. While the high drop-out rate of black students is indeed a serious problem, a form of "social promotion" (by now widely institutionalized in high schools) may also exist in colleges and universities that allows many unqualified students to graduate and possess dubious credentials.
ISSN:0895-4852
1936-4709
DOI:10.1007/s12129-999-1002-x