[–] brother_tempus 2 points 0 points 2 points (+2|-2) ago
They are institutions of the State , either directly or indirectly through programs like Title IV, and thus like government are corrupt as well and are nothing more than propaganda and indoctrination centers for the State
[–] thesuperpapagai [S] 0 points 15 points 15 points (+15|-0) ago
More specifically, do you tink colleges operate more in the interests of making money that educating their students.
[–] prodigyx 1 point 2 points 3 points (+3|-1) ago
Yes. But in the interest of making money, some colleges build state-of-the-art facilities to attract both high level researchers and students.
It is similar to the pharmaceutical industry. Do they market unnecessary drugs to people and doctors in an effort to make more money? Definitely. But that money enables them to research and cure actual diseases.
Both are a necessary evil. The real question is, at what point do the evils outweigh the benefits?
[–] culofiesta 2 points 7 points 9 points (+9|-2) ago
No, but they have become less concerned with educatiing and more with making money. They have introduced several new subjects in social sciences whose beliefs are detrimental to the career and well being of graduates.
These are easy subjects and good sells. It's better than having hundreds of people dropping out because Engineering is too difficult. Keep the money streams flowing.
[–] RedNowGrey 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Are you talking about nonprofit, or for-profit universities?
[–] thesuperpapagai [S] ago
Both, but is there really a difference?
[–] RedNowGrey 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Yes. Graduation rates of for-profit universities is abysmal. Non-profit higher educational institutions tend to admit only students who be able to accomplish the work necessary to graduate. For-profit institutions tend to admit only students who can pay, by cash, loan or GI bill.
[–] TimberWolfAlpha 0 points 6 points 6 points (+6|-0) ago
I think they're broken, at the very least. Mine did nothing to actually teach me how to accomplish practical things I would use outside academia, and wasted vast amounts of my time with irrelevant nonsense.
It's the most money I've ever spent to be treated like cattle.
[–] [deleted] 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
[–] TimberWolfAlpha ago
I quit their game a long time ago. But I can still be bitter about the waste.
[–] Diogenes_The_Cynic 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
They're the largest source of unpaid labor in the country (internships).
They use public money to pay for political campaigns. The UC system was the biggest single contributor to Obama.
There are a lot of problems with how colleges are run today. They're almost have a similar level of institutional power as the Catholic church did before Reformation.
[–] Kleyno 1 point 0 points 1 point (+1|-1) ago
No, but I do think they are spineless.