A few things that have been rolling around in my head that I haven’t had a chance to blog about yet re: Higher Ed and our GRAD class.

1)  I mentioned in class an article about “Higher Ed: Inefficient by design” and I have searched and searched and can’t find it!  So… totally anticlimactic… but, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry I couldn’t deliver!

2)  Have you read this article in Inside Higher Ed – http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/09/16/essay-calls-end-comparing-academe-and-real-world

It made me think of the mention today in class about “the real world” and “engagement/service” or the part of academic duty related to “telling the truth.”

It is fascinating to me because I often wonder how teaching and scholarship ever became so un-moored from its context that we even need a word like engagement.  Shouldn’t the context of our teaching and research always embody a vibrant connection to practice?  Or am I just delusional?

3) A former student posted this link about the value of college and, though 2 years old, I thought it worth sharing!  http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2011/06/06/110606crat_atlarge_menand?currentPage=all

It wrestles with the ideas of what the overall purpose of college is… a degree for a job!?  the development of ourselves as human beings living in community!? What do you think?  What is the end goal of all of this?  And… does it relate at all to those mission statements we read and blogged about!?