Interestingly, to me, I find that being involved with a proprietary college is like dancing backwards on high heels. The regulations that we are complying with are imposed only on this one sector of colleges, the proprietary, or "for-profit" colleges. There are many fine for-profit colleges. CW is one of those colleges. We are entering our second hundred years of existence, this year, 2015.
As The College of Westchester celebrates our centennial serving many wonderful students and looking back at thousands of successful graduates, we find that the standards imposed upon us are different than the ones on all other colleges, such as private not-for-profit colleges, state and community colleges.
Here is a taste of one of the measures imposed on proprietary colleges. It is worth the 4.40 minutes to educate yourself:
I truly believe that there are fine colleges throughout the four sectors of higher education. While agree with the US Department of Education's (ED's) goals for the GE rule from the outset, I believe that the regulation as is does not achieve the goals it has set to accomplish.
What would work? How about the continued monitoring of student loan default rates across all 4 sectors of higher education? Maybe giving proprietary college graduates more than 18-30 months to become successful and monetarily rewarded in their work would be more realistic. I believe that bad schools should go away. Good schools should be allowed to continue to exist, regardless of their tax designation.
What do you think? Right now, for us at CW, it is backwards on high heels.
Are you recommending "more than 18-30 months" for proprietary college graduates only or of all graduates?
ReplyDeleteThis is a great question, Brother Richard. We strongly feel that almost all students take longer than 18-30 months to truly develop and reap the benefits of their education through a rewarding career. Throughout the sectors of higher education you can see this evidence.
DeleteFor example, a student who graduates with a BA degree in English Literature might take some time temping or with a paid internship before they find a job that suits them, and then it make take time to develop a career that is financially rewarding. Many students start with an "entry-level" salary, and many take time to find that first job in field.
At The College of Westchester, most graduates launch a career in the field that they have studied, but, again, it takes time to build that earning potential. Another example would be a person who graduates with a Juris Doctorate (law degree). They then need to pass the bar exam which requires additional study. Once they pass the bar, they then need to seek and find that first job in field. Often new lawyers clerk and do mundane tasks that they are not paid well for at the outset. We all know that a successful lawyer can be very financially successful, but it takes years to develop that level of success. I hope this helps.
An apt and unfortunate analogy! Thanks President Del Balzo.
ReplyDelete