What Constitutes an Excellent University?

Commentary

In recent years, the value of a university degree has been questioned to a greater degree because of several factors. Far too many students have been enrolled in our universities because of diversity, equity, and inclusion variables rather than genuine qualifications based on merit. Stagnant state test scores in math, reading, and science are evidence of this lack of progress in a number of states.

Close to half of incoming California college students require remediation in math, as well as reading and writing. A multitude of mandates from the district, federal, and state levels of education have done almost nothing to restore rigor to both public high schools and public universities. It’s almost as if our universities want to stay in business by admitting as many warm bodies as possible despite their unpreparedness, while many drop out.

Although arguments can be made for the value of a college degree, vast numbers of college graduates end up working in fields unrelated to their majors. Those who enter the professions they train for often must earn advanced degrees and garner connections to real-world careers in the private or public sectors. High debt can be incurred the longer one remains in school, and it can take years to repay student loan debt.

What an Excellent University Might Look Like

So what are some solutions to these challenges? College excellence begins early. For a start, raise the curricular standards in the K–12 system. Teach cursive writing and the science of reading (phonics) at a young age to prepare students for critical reading with larger vocabularies and writing in several genres. Cursive writing is brain work and it helps develop manual dexterity and patience.

All subjects should challenge the capabilities of students and encourage discovery and motivated learning. Students ought to learn how to think and why they need this skill. Moreover, allow more charter schools to operate to enable school choice and competition as part of the education equation.

Next, it isn’t necessary to push “career and college ready” on all high school students. Many students are much more suited for community/junior college and a grounding in business, the military, or the practical technical/vocational trades rather than theoretical courses that consume four or more years of their lives. Indeed, there is a constant demand for skilled workers in the trade occupations, while the opportunities and salaries are excellent.

Let’s also dismantle insidious critical race theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion and replace them with equal opportunity and merit. It’s unlawful to pick and choose enrolled students based on ethnicity, gender, and racial factors. High school grades and articulate essays should be the main factors in accepting and enrolling students. This can reduce the dropout rate because highly motivated students usually succeed in academia.

Next, restore higher standards to all courses in all fields of endeavor at the college level and ensure that professors are experts in the subjects they teach. Encourage students to take as many challenging courses as possible to stretch their minds and hone their study skills. Students should learn how to debate, take notes, author cogent research papers, participate in class, seek the truth, and do far more book and journal reading than is required.

Higher education is supposed to be an environment wherein students learn to move from adolescence to adulthood, so it should be difficult. Students ought to think for themselves and truly absorb the fulfillment that is gained through study and hard work. Instead of spoiling them by handing out freebies that are taxpayer funded, teach them how to work for everything they get. Some universities check out laptops for the year to students in a library-type system instead of encouraging them or their parents to purchase their own technology materials. Who pays for all those laptops?

Most teachers in the K–12 system don’t spend excessive time on conferences or have the dreaded “publish or perish” mentality prevalent in higher education. Therefore, professors ought to spend most of their time mentoring and teaching rather than stressing about meetings and added research. Higher-level students can assist with grading student work, which would allow more time for preparation, lectures, and additional time spent with individuals or groups of students. Moreover, fewer administrators on campus could translate into a more affordable college degree.

Finally, universities should encourage real-world experience for students to accompany their academic coursework. The value of a part-time job during the academic year, followed by full-time work in the summer, should be promoted to all students by all pertinent stakeholders. Real-world experience can sometimes lead to a career choice, but it also helps to pay for a university education. This is a maturing process that builds character so that students can live on their own rather than remain in their parents’ homes into their 20s or 30s.

Although higher education systems can’t take the place of parents, students ought to be required to study America’s founding documents with their traditions of liberty and personal responsibility. A university is not merely a location at which to prepare for a career. It should also help to develop communication skills, discipline, fiscal awareness, health, persistence, and an appreciation for America’s hard-won progress since the early years of the republic.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.