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Comment on In wartime, a push for colleges by gcalder

gcalder — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:05:02 +0000

The expansion of colleges and especially the state systems after WW2 was extraordinary and probably the other single biggest period of enrollment growth and also after a war.

Comment on In wartime, a push for colleges by MR

MR — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:02:02 +0000

I knew about the expansion following WW2 and the GI Bill, but not the longer history.
Always nice to see FCS in the news…

Comment on In wartime, a push for colleges by gcalder

gcalder — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:46:24 +0000

Hoping it’s a way to make the history “relevant,” a quality that everyone seems to think course work should have these days.

Comment on In wartime, a push for colleges by EIK

EIK — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:44:36 +0000

Thank you for the informative and interesting lesson!

Comment on In wartime, a push for colleges by gcalder

gcalder — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:42:10 +0000

That is an interesting idea. What I didn’t add about the Morrill Act is that the sale of the land grants involved a great deal of corruption and substantial portions of the moneys raised never ended up in the land grant college endowments where they were supposed to. So it goes.

Comment on In wartime, a push for colleges by GAC

GAC — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:34:36 +0000

I do not know if the political parties today represent similar thinking as during the “War of Northern Aggression” as some still say, but if Democrats were out of the picture nowadays in the North, like during the war, would we finally be able to sell today’s other public assets like State Stores, Gas Company, Convention Center, Parking Authority, Airport, and Highways similarly to the public lands sold back then for a better public good?

Good question for classroom debates since Democrats of today argue that all these things owned publicly give them patronage jobs to dole out, political power and control. Republicans argue against such public ownership because of the business inefficiency, waste, sloth and huge loss of profit revenue that would more fairly, equitably and honestly fund the social services needed by society if privately owned and managed without weakening and killing the golden goose.

Comment on In wartime, a push for colleges by GB

GB — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:07:08 +0000

Your article was very interesting. You should write a book on the subject. I promise i’ll buy it, if you do.

Comment on In wartime, a push for colleges by gcalder

gcalder — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:06:11 +0000

I think the U.S. is the world leader in higher ed despite the serious problems plaguing the system. It still contains an extraordinary range of institutions. Among them are many of the best teaching colleges in the world and many of the best research universities.
On the other hand, several countries are rapidly gaining ground and successfully competing for students in the global pool.

Comment on In wartime, a push for colleges by ABC

ABC — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:59:44 +0000

I have to confess I arched an eyebrow at the line “Today the United States is the world leader in higher education” but I guess it is if the yardstick is the number of institutions. Quality is terribly subjective, so it would be hard to define world leader in higher education any other way.

Either way, and to your point, I am firmly convinced that, while being at a ‘good’ school helps, what will define the student’s success is what they make of the experience or the place.

Comment on A shortage of greatness by gcalder

gcalder — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:09:39 +0000

You’re absolutely right. I also received a phone call from someone else who corrected the mistake. Thanks.