We've been told by the administration's words and actions that energy, healthcare, and education are the reasons we are in this depression, and reforming each of these will get us out. Apparently we don't have enough college graduates. Don't you think all of those greedy Wall Street guys who got us into this mess have college degrees? Probably most from Ivy League schools? What happened? Doesn't a college degree guarantee smarts, happiness, and a lifelong smile?
When our kids were first born Cindy and I decided we would start saving for their college expenses. Our plan - encourage them to get good grades, support them emotionally and financially as long as they are exerting a good effort, and then sit back and let them support us in our old age. Not attending college would not be an option.
Somewhere between then and now our attitude changed. If our kids somehow don't win the lottery or a multimillion dollar lawsuit, our hope is that they are happy with whatever they choose. If they decide to start their own business instead of going to college, they will have our full support. If they decide to work at Krispy Kreme or Starbucks, more power to them. For some people, attending college and incurring 100k in debt may not be the best road to happiness.
This opinion was strengthened today as I heard a report about the escalating costs of college tuition. In spite of the current recession, many colleges are increasing tuition and subsequently professors' salaries. The average salary of a university professor now stands at $90,000. Not bad for somebody who spends 8 hours/week on average teaching in the class. I realize there are other responsibilities besides indoctrinating the young whipper snappers on the beauties of communism - but really, aren't they really paid for what they do in the classroom? Not a bad gig! I think it is shameful and disgusting! Don't many universities get funds from the government? Would this make the government part owners, or part employers, of these professors? I really think they should give back part of their salaries. Either that or they should be required to pay 90% taxes for their excessive salaries. When it comes right down to it, we need to be fair - and that pay structure for that small amount of work just isn't fair. I just don't think I will be able to contribute to a broken system. Until professor salaries are reduced to a reasonable level, they aren't getting any of my money. I only hope the minimum wage will be at a decent level when my kids graduate from high school.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
OK, Chicken A, your ongoing attempt to rile me has finally paid off. Get ready for a good ol' fashioned Ivy League whupp-ass.
ReplyDeleteFirst, though, a moment of common ground -- agreed that not everyone needs college and there are plenty of ways to find fulfillment in life outside a white collar job. But having a college degree certainly increases your range of options when it comes to finding a job.
Now for the facts. And, oh my little befreckled friend, how you're in need of some facts (ones you can't get from Glenn Beck):
1) Name me one person who went to a state school or BYU who came out with 100K in debt? The problem with national reporting on the current state of college education is that most the writers went to the Ivies and hence only think of college in those terms. The vast majority of college students still go to public schools where tuition is an awfully good bargain.
2) Perhaps the average FULL professor makes $90,000, but the average assistant and associate professor makes considerably less. After graduate school (and possibly a post-doc), the average beginning professor makes between 50K and 60K -- despite the fact that he or she has as much education as a beginning MD and more than a beginning lawyer. In other words, you can make as much starting out with your 4-year degree in PT as you can with 10 years of schooling in English, history, sociology, etc. And also remember that the $90K stat includes business and law professors, who demand much higher salaries than average to induce them to stay in academia rather than going into industry.
3) At a minimum professors spend 2 hours prepping and grading for every hour in the classroom. So your 8 hours becomes 24 hours of teaching work. Then you add on out-of-class mentoring of undergrads and grads, and you're usually at 30-35 hours a week there. And that's 1/3 of the job -- you also have committee assignments and research.
You could find similar scare stats about any profession, I'd guess. "The average lawyer only spends 1.5 hours per week in court!! What are we paying them for, then?" "The average therapist only spend 6 hours a week giving massages to old ladies!!! Must be a life of luxury!!" "The average MD only spends 7 hours a week actually in the presence of his patients!!!! That means they must spend the other 33 hours on the golf course!!!!!"
My prescription: a one-month moratorium on talk radio. Or maybe try a little NPR.