'Degrees for sale' at UK Universities

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by DL-Luvr, Aug 1, 2004.

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  1. DL-Luvr

    DL-Luvr New Member

  2. DesElms

    DesElms New Member

    The university's explanation in the last paragraph, above, would seem to be accurate. The email does not ask that standards be lowered so much as it simply asks that where a student is borderline, try to go that extra mile to find something somewhere in said student's work that can reasonably be given an extra point or two so that said work can be tipped over the line positively rather than negatively. He doesn't ask anyone to make-up anything. And you gotta' appreciate his candor. He's candid about the reason: We don't want them to flunk because we need their money.

    Universities make decisions like that about borderline students everywhere, every day. This pales by comparison with what some colleges with big basketball or football teams have done for generations to keep their players in college and on the team.

    I'm not defending any of it. I'm merely encouraging the reader to keep things in perspective.

    All that having been said, much of the rest of the article is, indeed, disturbing.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 1, 2004
  3. Dennis Ruhl

    Dennis Ruhl member

    Much criticism is made of for-profit universities and the potential for easing requirements to ensure cash flow. Non-profits seem to enjoy the cash flow too.

    For some time Alberta had a requirement that provincially run schools charge foreign students 1 1/2 times what local students are charged. This may have changed in recent years.

    The open ended tuition and dropping of traditional programs at state funded schools places them at odds with the purpose of any state funding. That purpose being to educate citizens in a broad range of areas at reasonable cost to benefit the society.

    In Canada, many government universities have gone into $30,000 - $60,000 for quickie MBA programs, where they previously charged $4,000 - $5,000 annually for 2 year real academic programs.

    I think the American model whereby state universities fufill the aims of the state and private universities milk the cows is superior. Canada's private for-profit universities can pretty much be counted on one finger and I think this should change.
     

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