These are classic discussions published back in November 2011

Higher Education Success for Latinos

November 15, 2011
At each of my visits last week to WSU, USU and the U of U, students or faculty brought up the need for a success strategy for Latinos. Latinos lag behind other ethnic groups in terms of higher education attainment. That is an issue – a compounding issue, given that the U.S. population increases by four people each minute and that two of the four are Latino. I believe the first three points of my white paper – improving college readiness, cost, and flexibility – form the foundation of a success strategy. This morning I read a good article on Latino higher education success published by the National Conference of State Legislatures that seems to agree. Some highlights: Raymund Paredes, Texas Higher Education Commissioner, stresses that “access without preparation is not opportunity. If you’re not well-prepared, your chances of succeeding in college are very, very low.” UTEP President Diana Natalicio says that “you must do the following: raise aspirations, prepare students for academic... (read more)
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Online Mtgs re the Future of Higher Education in Utah

November 9, 2011
I am holding meetings to discuss the future of higher education in Utah. Here is a link to sign up for the online meeting to be held Thursday, 11/10, at 10 a.m.: http://worldfunction.com/event-registration/?regevent_action=register&event_id=5 We are discussing ideas to improve higher education in Utah. I’ve posted my ideas here. Join the discussion!
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Senator Stephenson: Instigator of Occupy Protests?

November 5, 2011
Edward C. Pease and D. Whitney Smith, In your Deseret News op-ed of 10/25/11, you purport to challenge Senator Howard Stephenson’s “degrees to nowhere” argument. That could have been a meaningful contribution to on-going discussions regarding the cost, role, and performance of higher education. But, you didn’t do that. Instead, you created a straw man and, then, you attacked it. A reader of your piece likely would think that liberal arts are under attack in Utah. As one who feels enormous gratitude for his liberal arts education, your op-ed inspires me to join you at the barricades to defend the institution. But, applying the critical thinking skills you trumpet, I realize that there is no such attack. Rather, you saw a 3-word Rorschach, and you unthinkingly sounded the alarm. Though less dramatic, a better approach would be to address the substance behind Senator Stephenson’s “degrees to nowhere” statement. To wit: many Utah graduates with liberal arts degrees cannot find work; yet, many jobs... (read more)
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Reducing the Cost of College

November 3, 2011
We are having wonderful discussions about improving higher education in Utah. I’ve tried to give some focus to the discussions by preparing a white paper. A meeting schedule for future discussions can be found here. Based on these discussions, I’d like to suggest modifications to one aspect of the plan – reducing the cost of college. College costs too much. The high cost prevents students from going to college. The high cost prevents students from completing college. Like a metastasizing cancer, our own system is working against itself, by producing cost increases that deny access and prevent completion. No one should want to sustain a model that yields such runaway costs. Fortunately, solutions exist. We can reduce costs, and we can improve quality. A year of college at a Utah pubic institution costs about $10,000 – roughly half of that paid by tuition and half paid by the taxpayers. By way of contrast, a private provider, StraighterLine, can provide a year of college... (read more)
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