General Discussion

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)

46. The problem is not with trying to convince people to not be academics

Sat Sep 19, 2015, 12:08 AM

Sep 2015

it is with the entire outdated model of the university system that still relies on brick and mortar schools as its backbone and funding that has been drastically cut over the past two decades. If anything we need to be sending more people to college if they want, not necessarily for graduate degrees, but for specialized degrees in areas where there are needs. Many of those could be done with an associate's or bachelor's degree. The three major problems are cost, time, and access.

That is exactly why online schools are thriving right now. They have lower overhead, allow students to take classes when they want, and can be accessed through the internet.

Disclaimer: Yes, I am an academic. I teach outside the United States and have a doctorate.

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How do we convince fewer people to teach at the college/university level? [View all] Recursion Sep 2015 OP

The beter question is how do we get universities to pay teachers what they're worth. rug Sep 2015 #1

+1000 nt abelenkpe Sep 2015 #2

No kidding! redstatebluegirl Sep 2015 #4

Thank you. Well said. crazylikafox Sep 2015 #15

The corporatization of the university hifiguy Sep 2015 #20

That's very simple: reduce the number of people willing to do it Recursion Sep 2015 #6

I imagine it depends on one's priorities-- an educated populace, or fewer teachers on SNAP LanternWaste Sep 2015 #10

Western Europe strictly limits who can go to college Recursion Sep 2015 #50

Both statements can't be true. cheapdate Sep 2015 #53

That counts their trade school system Recursion Sep 2015 #55

It says under 'Technical universities and universities of the applied sciences" cheapdate Sep 2015 #56

Apparently it's changed since I lived there Recursion Sep 2015 #58

A good friend of mine lived there in the 1990s. cheapdate Sep 2015 #59

65% of Americans go to college; about 30% graduate Recursion Sep 2015 #60

That's not true anymore in Germany Nevernose Sep 2015 #77

Don't get a job as an adjunct yeoman6987 Sep 2015 #52

You mustn't be in liberal arts a la izquierda Sep 2015 #67

Sounds like you are on your way. I really wish more were like you yeoman6987 Sep 2015 #73

Fluffy? Adrahil Sep 2015 #80

Liberal arts are a choice that students make yeoman6987 Sep 2015 #81

Bah... you miss the point. Adrahil Sep 2015 #83

I actually agree with you yeoman6987 Sep 2015 #84

That's completely fair. Adrahil Sep 2015 #86

So true yeoman6987 Sep 2015 #87

I think college loans should go through the same due diligence as mortgages. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #3

So, my most conservative friends love that one Recursion Sep 2015 #8

I think college is hugely exploitive. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #11

The notion that an 18 yo can realistically sign on to 100K of debt is simply absurd Recursion Sep 2015 #12

Of debt NOT DISCHARGEABLE in bankruptcy! nt tblue37 Sep 2015 #85

That's another thing: if it's non-dischargeable, it's not *actually* debt, it's equity (nt) Recursion Sep 2015 #88

Yeah. Like that will work. hunter Sep 2015 #30

With student loan default rates as high as they are lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #40

Not the same MichMan Sep 2015 #36

No, I mean "likely to be repaid". lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #39

Except you don't know MichMan Sep 2015 #41

The opposite of "discriminate" is indiscriminate. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #45

And then nobody gets an education. backscatter712 Sep 2015 #70

Is 12 years of public education inadequate? Perhaps. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #75

Observing the ignorance of the general population... hunter Sep 2015 #5

LOL. How do we convince fewer people to wash dishes? Cal Carpenter Sep 2015 #7

Well, if higher wages for dishwashers was a social priority, that would be a valid question Recursion Sep 2015 #9

Is there one iota of evidence for that last statement ? eppur_se_muova Sep 2015 #13

Sure. Compare the number of articles about adjuncts on SNAP with the number of articles Recursion Sep 2015 #14

I frequently see articles about people with full time jobs, often at Walmart or Fast Food, who need Bluenorthwest Sep 2015 #16

Well the question here was "dishwashers" Recursion Sep 2015 #17

I see the desire to avoid the contextually relevant is still a strength of yours. LanternWaste Sep 2015 #33

The concern is as fake as the problem, which does not exist. Rex Sep 2015 #24

Why is that your question? kiva Sep 2015 #18

A living wage for instructors will mean fewer of them Recursion Sep 2015 #19

Obvious is still obvious CreekDog Sep 2015 #38

They still need the teachers to teach the classes. That need hasn't gone away riderinthestorm Sep 2015 #44

The issue is the number of people who are willing to adjunct for less Recursion Sep 2015 #49

Thats the same situation for fast food workers riderinthestorm Sep 2015 #65

Add to the pile of obvious CreekDog Sep 2015 #21

Increase tuition by one thousand percent annually. Gormy Cuss Sep 2015 #22

What a really stupid question I would expect a republican to ask. Rex Sep 2015 #23

That's easy - lower the pay, then fewer will want the job. JustABozoOnThisBus Sep 2015 #25

No that is exactly what answer he/she wants. Rex Sep 2015 #26

No, that's happened for 20 years now and it hasn't "worked" Recursion Sep 2015 #48

Simple. Lots of news stories about how poorly colleges pay. kwassa Sep 2015 #27

True that. teenagebambam Sep 2015 #31

Maybe colleges ought to include that article with promotional materials for incoming freshmen. n/t lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #66

How about we change labor laws to even pay adjuncts for actual work put into a course JCMach1 Sep 2015 #28

Same here, I could not believe how stagnant wages are after decades of progress. Rex Sep 2015 #35

The IRS has already determined teenagebambam Sep 2015 #42

Why on earth would you chose to be an adjunct? yeoman6987 Sep 2015 #54

A short history lesson on Higher-Ed hiring... JCMach1 Sep 2015 #29

One of the places I teach teenagebambam Sep 2015 #32

I was lucky enough to work overseas for most of the last 15yrs... JCMach1 Sep 2015 #34

I have a friend who did the same davidpdx Sep 2015 #47

The problem is states are decreasing funding tammywammy Sep 2015 #37

One of the huge problems with higher education Snobblevitch Sep 2015 #43

Not in the humanities or arts/sciences, which generally have the most students at universities. a la izquierda Sep 2015 #69

The problem is not with trying to convince people to not be academics davidpdx Sep 2015 #46

There aren't too many professors. There are too many adjuncts, because PatrickforO Sep 2015 #51

ZERO recommends CreekDog Sep 2015 #57

"Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too" - Judge Smails cheapdate Sep 2015 #61

They get paid much more than adjuncts Recursion Sep 2015 #62

It varies a lot.... cheapdate Sep 2015 #63

Oy. Adjunct ditch digging Recursion Sep 2015 #64

The old "ditch digger" just used his muscles and a shovel. backscatter712 Sep 2015 #68

The better question is how do we reduce inequality within the profession YoungDemCA Sep 2015 #71

Divide and conquer. Complain about the professors, but not GOP defunding of public education? Why? greatlaurel Sep 2015 #72

Before we do that, let's discuss the university endowment! yeoman6987 Sep 2015 #74

Another divide and conquer post. Good GOP talking point. Thanks for pointing it out for us. greatlaurel Sep 2015 #76

Thank goodness for trash thread chervilant Sep 2015 #78

We're doing it. Orsino Sep 2015 #79

More should want to be coaches. moondust Sep 2015 #82