What’s Wrong with the American University?

By Jake • August 3rd, 2010 • 3 Comments

I found this article fascinating, definitely worth a read, even if you don’t have children on the way to college someday.

What’s Wrong With the American University System – Culture – The Atlantic

From a hiring perspective, I haven’t dealt much with so-called Millenials, and I hear mixed reports about their expectations.

I do know that certain universities will get you past the first culling of resumes at a lot of places without even a glance at work history.

What do you think? Have you run into entitled graduates? Do American universities need a makeover?

This should be an interesting discussion. Find the comments.


Possibly Related Posts

  • joel garry

    So I remember hearing some Hungarian guy give a talk at my university causing a big stink 'cause he wrote a book about how the American University system is the biggest block to education, blablabla… circa 1975. Some people find a niche in criticism of the system, look at dbdebunk.com in the db world. Not a bad thing, if it can result in positive change, though all too often it is just self-promotion.

    Of course the tenure system favors research over teaching – it's even worse than the article says, biotech and engineering patents are becoming one of the main sources of funding for the University of California and many other places. One of the worst teachers I ever had was a Nobel winner, his prize should have been in ego.

    I don't think the sense of entitlement has changed much over the past decades. You really have to go back to the “greatest generation” perhaps up to early boomers to really see a difference. And I surely know early boomers who had a sense of entitlement.

    I've seen a lot of newbies over the years, most are hard working, some just haven't grown up yet, some never will. A gap year may help. I wish I had taken one at some point. I think the economic realities of this decade will push against entitlement feelings, everyone, even in the middle class, knows someone who had to deal with the consequences.

    I have some really smart cousins who went to Harvard/Yale, one became an investment banker and made millions, then couldn't get a job because they don't hire 50 year old investment bankers. But, he already made millions.

    These issues are front and center for me as my older kid starts high school.

    When I worked for a startup in the '80s, they would laugh at any MBA who came through looking for a job. I've seen that elsewhere too, including places that hire MBA's and are disappointed. But my dad, a Depression kid, always used to tell me to learn a trade and get a degree, then you can get work whatever the economy does. And I think there is more crossover than people want to admit. I'm leaning towards Universities should teach how to think, trade schools should teach how to do skilled work (including infotech), and they should not be mutually exclusive. If you are part of the elite class, well, good for you.

    I'm not so convinced that everyone come out of college an iconoclast.

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    Nice take. Entitlement is kind of a product of that particular age, so I hear you on that one. I also think your point about bashing for media attention is correct, although it doesn't mean the points aren't valid. But, as you say, change is the real test.

    FWIW I do think there's a bias toward name schools that's more laziness than anything.

    Interesting stuff.