Comments on: Working learners — the ‘Other 85 Percent’ of college students http://www.theother85percent.com/2009/12/working-learners-%e2%80%94-the-%e2%80%98other-85-percent%e2%80%99-of-college-students/ Working adults and the new world of higher education Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:48:27 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Damian Wilbur http://www.theother85percent.com/2009/12/working-learners-%e2%80%94-the-%e2%80%98other-85-percent%e2%80%99-of-college-students/comment-page-1/#comment-23349 Damian Wilbur Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:25:13 +0000 http://www.theother85percent.com/?p=220#comment-23349 Mike, I disagree. We already have what amounts to a vocational program-- they are called AAS degrees. If you are advocating for increased emphasis on 2 year Associate programs then I can see your point. The fact is, Humanities (not just liberal arts) play a big role in giving people the necessary groundwork for identifying further areas of interest. Do you really think that we'd be getting the most out of a one track system? There are plenty of opportunities to CLEP out of specific requirements. Lets not lower the bar any further. The mere fact that a C student gets the same degree as an A student is to me far more reprehensible. We've dumbed the system down far too much as it is. Homogeneity is not the right approach. Respectfully, Damian Mike,

I disagree. We already have what amounts to a vocational program– they are called AAS degrees. If you are advocating for increased emphasis on 2 year Associate programs then I can see your point.

The fact is, Humanities (not just liberal arts) play a big role in giving people the necessary groundwork for identifying further areas of interest. Do you really think that we’d be getting the most out of a one track system? There are plenty of opportunities to CLEP out of specific requirements. Lets not lower the bar any further. The mere fact that a C student gets the same degree as an A student is to me far more reprehensible. We’ve dumbed the system down far too much as it is. Homogeneity is not the right approach.

Respectfully,
Damian

]]> By: Michael http://www.theother85percent.com/2009/12/working-learners-%e2%80%94-the-%e2%80%98other-85-percent%e2%80%99-of-college-students/comment-page-1/#comment-22053 Michael Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:36:42 +0000 http://www.theother85percent.com/?p=220#comment-22053 I am a 38 year old male trying to return to school while juggling my job and a family. I think an aweful lot of financial aid could be freed up for better use. I think that the way colleges and universities mandate what courses are required for a degree program is grossly abusive and costly. Unless a particular course (and I'm talking mostly about liberal arts) has to do with the program (ie.physics, biology..... needed for pre-med) it shouldn't be required! Our degree programs should be geared much more toward a vocational degree program. Thereby, only taking the courses that directly apply to psychology, or business, or criminal justice. I think people would graduate much quicker, enter the workforce sooner, and it wouldn't be as expensive!! Which would mean that financial aid would cover more people. It shouldn't be up to colleges and universities to declare that every student is well rounded. If I want to be well rounded I'll take more classes on my own and of my own accord. Higher education is a business, and like any business they are trying to find ways to get more money, and I think that's why they require useless courses to fill in gaps for needed credits in order to graduate. The government has a stake in this, because they dedicate so much money toward finacial aid. One would think that if all the licensing boards within the government (state/federal) changed their licensing requirments and mandated that state schools follow the a new vocational style education, private colleges and universities would have no choice but to follow suite in order to compete for attendance. How many people going or trying to go to college would choose the school that requires a longer program with courses that don't pertain to the career field of their choice, not to mention the additional cost of all those courses? This is just my opinion, I would welcome your feedback! Thanks, Mike I am a 38 year old male trying to return to school while juggling my job and a family. I think an aweful lot of financial aid could be freed up for better use. I think that the way colleges and universities mandate what courses are required for a degree program is grossly abusive and costly. Unless a particular course (and I’m talking mostly about liberal arts) has to do with the program (ie.physics, biology….. needed for pre-med) it shouldn’t be required! Our degree programs should be geared much more toward a vocational degree program. Thereby, only taking the courses that directly apply to psychology, or business, or criminal justice. I think people would graduate much quicker, enter the workforce sooner, and it wouldn’t be as expensive!! Which would mean that financial aid would cover more people. It shouldn’t be up to colleges and universities to declare that every student is well rounded. If I want to be well rounded I’ll take more classes on my own and of my own accord. Higher education is a business, and like any business they are trying to find ways to get more money, and I think that’s why they require useless courses to fill in gaps for needed credits in order to graduate. The government has a stake in this, because they dedicate so much money toward finacial aid. One would think that if all the licensing boards within the government (state/federal) changed their licensing requirments and mandated that state schools follow the a new vocational style education, private colleges and universities would have no choice but to follow suite in order to compete for attendance. How many people going or trying to go to college would choose the school that requires a longer program with courses that don’t pertain to the career field of their choice, not to mention the additional cost of all those courses? This is just my opinion, I would welcome your feedback!

Thanks,

Mike

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