RE: [Pen-l] private vs. state colleges

["Perelman, Michael" <MPerelman@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree with Terry's critique, but I would add that in the process 1 & 2
do get mixed together in very positive ways.  The tragedy is that it
does not happen more frequently.


Terry asked:

The real problem here is collusion between students and faculty and
administration.  
 
We do basically two jobs.
 
1. Produce and disseminate knowledge (or ideology), some of which
involves interacting with undergraduates.
2. Credentialling (issuing middle class union cards).
 
Thus students who have little interest in 1. can quite rationally spend
lots of money and time pursuing 2.  Since 1. and 2. are only tenuously
connected, students can pursue 2. without learning much or anything and
we can issue 2. to students who haven't learned much or anything.  We
consent to do 2. because it produces revenue which allows us to do 1.
As a society we subsidize students to do 1. because it is useful and
admirable.  We subsidize students to do 2. because of the political
influence of the middle class and because it would be unfair to overtly
deny access to credentials to those without money.  
 
We know why we do 2. (see above). This is forgivable but not
particularly defensible. The real question is why society bothers with
it
 

Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA
95929
http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com
530 898 5321
fax 530 898 5901
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