Diploma Mills

[jsd]

You're right, if accreditation means nothing then there's nothing "sacred" about it.

[High_Order1]

Personally, I would like to see Calc 1 be a MINIMUM math requirement for ALL university degrees. That one can graduate from a university and not know CALCULUS just does not make sense, to me.

uhm

I am very math adverse. I am not dumb. If Calculus was mandatory, I am unsure I would be able to graduate. I'll leave the argument as to whether higher math has any direct impact on many career fields untouched; but, the math that WAS required almost broke me.

Just throwing it out there.

[Cheeseburrito]

Personally, I would like to see Calc 1 be a MINIMUM math requirement for ALL university degrees. That one can graduate from a university and not know CALCULUS just does not make sense, to me.

uhm

I am very math adverse. I am not dumb. If Calculus was mandatory, I am unsure I would be able to graduate. I'll leave the argument as to whether higher math has any direct impact on many career fields untouched; but, the math that WAS required almost broke me.

Just throwing it out there.

The argument is going the other way. I've read articles lately suggesting higher education remove math from degree requirements because it isn't used in the real world.

[dfrecore]

Why?  What makes you any better at determining what makes a good degree plan for EVERYONE than a body of people setting the standards?  Why would your way be the better one?

I think that having different standards for different degrees makes total sense.  Why does a communications major need Calculus?  Why would an English degree need it?  Or a degree in HR?

Basically, you're saying that if you're not good at math, then you shouldn't be able to get a decent job, even if that job doesn't require the level of math that YOU think someone should have.  It makes no sense.

[Life Long Learning]

Former advisor to the Governor of California and now a business professor at a PAC-12 university said Universities do NOT even try to create degrees for jobs. He said only CC's even try.

When I look at one State where CC's AA/AS degrees requirements require 4 sciences (3 with labs) and they have a 9.5% graduation rate this is true. BTY, this was NOT the case in my generation.

Most CC's who have AAS degrees focus on the skill and not on the GEN ED stuff.

My AA and AS degrees I never list on my resume = junk.

I do list the one AAS degree.

[StoicJ]

Why?  What makes you any better at determining what makes a good degree plan for EVERYONE than a body of people setting the standards?  Why would your way be the better one?

I think that having different standards for different degrees makes total sense.  Why does a communications major need Calculus?  Why would an English degree need it?  Or a degree in HR?

Basically, you're saying that if you're not good at math, then you shouldn't be able to get a decent job, even if that job doesn't require the level of math that YOU think someone should have.  It makes no sense.

I am just saying I believe a UNIVERSITY education should not be about acquiring work skills, but rather a liberal education, and it should be rigorous. Trade skills should be picked up at other institutions. I completely agree that different specialties should have different requirements. If you want to crunch numbers for a living, or at least want to have credentials that show the world you can do that particular thing well, then it does not make sense for you to have to take 2 rounds of history, 2 rounds of biology, a couple of PE classes, and all that other mess they make you go through. What a waste

I studied a range of subjects at a B&M. I loved it. BUT, it really was cheap then, and I wasn't committed to any particular career path. I just wanted to see what was out there. It's too costly to do that the traditional way these days.

[Life Long Learning]

I am just saying I believe a UNIVERSITY education should not be about acquiring work skills.

 I think few Universities do.  All my baristas have a rigorous liberal arts education.

[StoicJ]

^^  Good point.   And no way would I have been prepared for rigorous when I was 17 or 18! I took Calculus 1 until the first exam. Twiddled my thumbs for 40 minutes, turned in about a 10% completed exam, and went straight to the registrar to drop it and get my partial refund

Actually, I lie. The 10% completed might have been 1 of 10 questions was about an elephant falling off a cliff, and I remember drawing the elephant, the cliff, and maybe a question mark.  

[DavidHume]

Why?  What makes you any better at determining what makes a good degree plan for EVERYONE than a body of people setting the standards?  Why would your way be the better one?

I think that having different standards for different degrees makes total sense.  Why does a communications major need Calculus?  Why would an English degree need it?  Or a degree in HR?

Basically, you're saying that if you're not good at math, then you shouldn't be able to get a decent job, even if that job doesn't require the level of math that YOU think someone should have.  It makes no sense.

I am just saying I believe a UNIVERSITY education should not be about acquiring work skills, but rather a liberal education, and it should be rigorous. Trade skills should be picked up at other institutions. I completely agree that different specialties should have different requirements. If you want to crunch numbers for a living, or at least want to have credentials that show the world you can do that particular thing well, then it does not make sense for you to have to take 2 rounds of history, 2 rounds of biology, a couple of PE classes, and all that other mess they make you go through. What a waste

I studied a range of subjects at a B&M. I loved it. BUT, it really was cheap then, and I wasn't committed to any particular career path. I just wanted to see what was out there. It's too costly to do that the traditional way these days.

Are you practicing this argument for your GRE?

[StoicJ]

Are you practicing this argument for your GRE?

Uhhhhh, my hope is they will be SO impressed with my 3.0, a GRE will not be necessary. Haha. No?