(In Resp To): Feel good story illustrates the dumbing down of college
Posted 03-08-2019 at 01:01 PM by Blondebaerde
Quote:
Originally Posted by parentologist
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...=.9c7ac8bcfd13
Warning - Washington Post has a paywall. You get the first few articles free.
In this feel good story, a man who is a senior at Morehouse college (a historically black college in Atlanta, GA) had to bring his baby to class with him. The professor offered to hold the baby while he taught, so that the student could take notes. What a sweet and supportive prof!
But the real issue here is that the material being taught is high school algebra, even first year of algebra. This is material that, in my district, the most advanced students take in 7th grade, the moderately advanced students take in 8th grade, and the majority of students take in 9th grade. This is essentially remedial math, that should not be offered for college credit, but just as remedial preparation for students who enter college unprepared for college level math, that is taken for no credit. And this is a senior taking what is essentially remedial math? I don't care if you call it "College" algebra. It's still remedial math, whether you call it "High School" or "College".
Warning - Washington Post has a paywall. You get the first few articles free.
In this feel good story, a man who is a senior at Morehouse college (a historically black college in Atlanta, GA) had to bring his baby to class with him. The professor offered to hold the baby while he taught, so that the student could take notes. What a sweet and supportive prof!
But the real issue here is that the material being taught is high school algebra, even first year of algebra. This is material that, in my district, the most advanced students take in 7th grade, the moderately advanced students take in 8th grade, and the majority of students take in 9th grade. This is essentially remedial math, that should not be offered for college credit, but just as remedial preparation for students who enter college unprepared for college level math, that is taken for no credit. And this is a senior taking what is essentially remedial math? I don't care if you call it "College" algebra. It's still remedial math, whether you call it "High School" or "College".
In grad school (business school, actually) you had to understand finance, coming in. Most people do, at some level. You had to understand non-Calc based statistics, and how to manipulate Excel in all sorts of interesting ways (arrays, for...each, simple thinks like count, median, average, etc.) That was quite reasonable for non-STEM grad students coming in. I was prepped, fortunately. Damn few of us were "not."
School is being dumbed-down last ten years, some say? I've never been to Morehouse, subject of the thread. I have no strong opinion about historically Black colleges, other than "I heard" several were excellent, and others dogs. I can't prove that or provide reference, so it is what it is.
Ten years ago, the no. 15 B-school in the world, S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, was no cakewalk. I wouldn't call it a living hell, either, but it was real world problems real-world executives went through, at about the same work load as...work. Fair enough, I figured. I serious doubt they're dumbing down the Ivys much, if at all. It wouldn't seem probable...can't verify one way or the other, but I've seldom if-ever met an Ivy grad who is stupid or even average in thier thinking.
