A great New York Times article from a couple months ago highlights part of the problem of enormous waste at American universities:
How to Raise a University’s Profile: Pricing and Packaging
The article profiles George Washington University in DC that used to be a safety school for children of wealthy families who could not get into Georgetown or University of Virginia (interestingly New York University is also mentioned, which used to be considered a safety school as well). By gaming the statistics of the US News and World Report rankings, GWU has now risen to number 54 in the rankings. Of course, these rankings are mostly meaningless and measure statistics blindly without analyzing the reasons behind a lower or higher stat. For example, the rate at which students graduate within four years of initial matriculation is weighed heavily as an indication of an excellent program that streamlines systemic processes with superb advising so students graduate “on time.” Institutions with lower four-year graduation rates are punished in the rankings, even though the lower rate could be an indicator of a rigorous academic program that holds students to high standards (i.e. they sometimes fail and need another year to graduate). Any institution can ensure a high four-year graduation rate by enabling students to pass all their classes and requiring they take 15 credits every semester. A diploma mill would rank extremely high in this US News & World Report category, which obviously makes no sense. Using statistics without analyzing the roots and meanings behind them is foolishness.
GWU raised its reputation by hiking tuition to one of the highest levels in the country. It’s the “Gucci” syndrome of where a product is judged superior because it has the highest price tag. And building extravagant buildings and recreation centers created an “institution on the move” facade. It worked for Gucci, and for George Washington University and New York University. They were middling safety schools in the 1980s that are now considered beacons of learning and academic prestige. This is not to say that both schools have some excellent professors and resources (as Gucci uses high quality fabrics and leather), in addition to great locations, but a good chunk of a student’s tuition goes to unnecessary pomp and circumstance. This is an irony that shouldn’t be lost on graduating students as they hear that marching tune at their graduation ceremony… your tuition also went to fund a dean of graduation and possibly a whole office dedicated to that one day.
mccarthyism.com 