Covid-19 Devaluation of College Education

Special Edition: Crisis Failure of Colleges

In case you’re already skeptical about the value of college, the Covid-19 "Wuhan Flu" just made things worse.

• Colleges and Universities have been shuttered.
• Professors are desperately trying to ramp up ersatz online versions of classes.
• Students are stressed about remote studies with less support.
• Colleges are dragging their feet on refunding tuition, housing, or meal plans.

The situation is dire, If you read industry sources (such as The Chronicle of Higher Education https://www.chronicle.com/).

Collateral Damage

Besides classes, what else has been lost in this first half of 2020?  With campus closures and the exodus of students, much has suffered. 

1. Student Body activities and social life ended.
2. Athletics (a HUGE campus money-maker) and performances were scuttled. 
3. Regular academic support, such as tutoring and professor’s office hours evaporated.
4. Many "special" programs supporting targeted student groups were curtailed.

Online Learning Dilutes Education

The shift to online learning is the typical method to continue instruction in exchange for that high tuition. It is a cheap substitute. 

Although information can be distributed via the Internet (as with this blog), that is only part of college education. There is less personal interaction, discussion is constrained, and communication is less nuanced (without non-verbal body language).

I have both given and taken online classes. Online format offers fewer instructional options for the instructor.  Period. It also takes more time to develop lessons and courses; and to “work around” online limitations.

Not just my opinion

Let’s look at current articles in The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

1. One article’s title asserts “Now Is Not the Time to Assess Online Learning” because “Good online teaching requires training, prep, and support. The current crisis provides none of that.” 
2.  Another article, entitled "Make All Courses Pass/Fail Now" carries the subtitle: “Students aren’t having a real college experience. We shouldn’t pretend that they are.” Additionally, it anecdotally suggests easier “cooperation” (cheating) between classmates.

Obviously, even college insiders admit the online substitute is a rip-off compared to actual instruction!

Hiding Liberal Bias?

Do you think colleges constrain discussion, allowing only “Politically Correct” speech? Some think colleges are outright hostile to any "unapproved" views. So what happens when instruction goes online?  Might the public “monitor” college professors?

This is a big worry for some college instructors. Some believe their online videos might “reveal” liberal bias, or harassment against conservative students ("A Side Effect of Remote Teaching During Covid-19? Videos That Can Be Weaponized"). The article does admit college tends to be “left-leaning,” and that “conservative students can feel marginalized.” Some professors want to make videos private, or take them down as soon as possible.

What are they hiding?  What’s the fear?  During my years of teaching, I tried to help students learn how to inquire and think clearly; not teach them the “right” things to believe.  I never feared visits or observations.  I never badgered students or ridiculed their views. Mindful of my position of power, I kept my political and religious views out of view. (When specifically asked by students, I divulged nothing. Instead, I would challenge them to form an opinion, defend their opinion, or at least examine their values or assumptions that might underlie an opinion or position).

Student Survival as a New Criterion?

There are more cracks forming in the “college-as-necessity” edifice.  One article suggests that high school seniors are reconsidering college plans, with one-third considering a “gap-year” (a wait and see approach: How Is Covid-19 Changing Prospective Students’ Plans? Here’s an Early Look). Other considerations include non-affordability, proximity to home, or colleges in “safer areas.”

Colleges Instruction Not Resilient to Crisis

It is clear that colleges and universities were not ready for any pandemic crisis. That's not any politician's fault.  It's the colleges' fault. Supposedly "liberal," they have been hide-bound, moss-covered traditionalists and reactionaries when it comes to instruction -- instead of innovators.  The sudden closure and subsequent scramble is evidence of no contingency plans. Here are just a few articles suggesting the extent of the crisis.

1. Most professors are not accustomed to online instruction. As the Coronavirus Forces Faculty Online, It’s ‘Like Drinking Out of a Firehose’. There are questions about course quality, and the online format may not be suited for all students.
2. The time given to get online classes going was not realistic: “Many Instructors Had 2 Weeks To Move Courses Online After Pandemic Shut Down Campuses Around Wisconsin.”  (My experience: It takes hours to prepare a brand new lecture. It takes much more to "produce" an entire course, with recordings, videos, text resources, and navigating the online platform.)
3. But academics is not the only thing missing for some students. Many students receive help with food and living costs, and that is an additional burden: Coronavirus Upends College Giving Days as Institutions Pivot to Raise Money for Students’ Basic Needs. 
4. Even more dire, some suggest an unknown number of colleges could close:  Will Coronavirus Close Your College for Good?  “For 20 percent of institutions, this may be an existential moment, says Robert Zemsky.”

Call To Action

"Outsmart College" says that college is an expensive way to find out if your Grad:

1. Hates the career they prepared for
2. Can't succeed because they lack skills or aptitudes

Helping the student make those decisions BEFORE starting college is critical.

If you're thinking about throwing a lot of tuition money at college without some thought to career probabilities, you're putting lots of money on a poor bet.

Outsmart College (and the Contribution Project) advocates helping the student make the transition to work and real-world relevance early -- before deciding to go to college (or not).

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If you are interested in REAL career prep for your child, contact me NOW!