Fraud in Higher Education

Guest Post by Walter E. Williams

Fraud in Higher Education

This year’s education scandal saw parents shelling out megabucks to gain college admittance for their children. Federal prosecutors have charged more than 50 people with participating in a scheme to get their children into colleges by cheating on entrance exams or bribing athletic coaches. They paid William Singer, a college-prep professional, more than $25 million to bribe coaches and university administrators and to change test scores on college admittance exams such as the SAT and ACT. As disgusting as this grossly dishonest behavior is, it is only the tiny tip of fraud in higher education.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016, only 37% of white high school graduates tested as college-ready, but colleges admitted 70% of them. Roughly 17% of black high school graduates tested as college-ready, but colleges admitted 58% of them. A 2018 Hechinger Report found, “More than four in 10 college students end up in developmental math and English classes at an annual cost of approximately $7 billion, and many of them have a worse chance of eventually graduating than if they went straight into college-level classes.”

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, “when considering all first-time undergraduates, studies have found anywhere from 28 percent to 40 percent of students enroll in at least one remedial course. When looking at only community college students, several studies have found remediation rates surpassing 50 percent.” Only 25% of students who took the ACT in 2012 met the test’s readiness benchmarks in all four subjects (English, reading, math and science).

It’s clear that high schools confer diplomas that attest that a student can read, write and do math at a 12th-grade level when, in fact, most cannot. That means most high school diplomas represent fraudulent documents. But when high school graduates enter college, what happens? To get a hint, we can turn to an article by Craig E. Klafter, “Good Grieve! America’s Grade Inflation Culture,” published in the Fall 2019 edition of Academic Questions. In 1940, only 15% of all grades awarded were A’s. By 2018, the average grade point average at some of the nation’s leading colleges was A-minus. For example, look at the average GPA at Brown University (3.75), Stanford (3.68), Harvard College (3.63), Yale University (3.63), Columbia University (3.6), and the University of California, Berkeley (3.59).

The falling standards witnessed at our primary and secondary levels are becoming increasingly the case at tertiary levels. “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses” is a study conducted by Professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa. They found that 45% of 2,300 students at 24 colleges showed no significant improvement in “critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the end of their sophomore years.”

An article in News Forum for Lawyers titled “Study Finds College Students Remarkably Incompetent” cites a study done by the American Institutes for Research that revealed that over 75% of two-year college students and 50% of four-year college students were incapable of completing everyday tasks. About 20% of four-year college students demonstrated only basic mathematical ability, while a steeper 30% of two-year college students could not progress past elementary arithmetic. NBC News reported that Fortune 500 companies spend about $3 billion annually to train employees in “basic English.”

Here is a list of some other actual college courses that have been taught at U.S. colleges in recent years: “What If Harry Potter Is Real?” “Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame,” “Philosophy and Star Trek,” “Learning from YouTube,” “How To Watch Television,” and “Oh, Look, a Chicken!” The questions that immediately come to mind are these: What kind of professor would teach such courses, and what kind of student would spend his time taking such courses? Most importantly, what kind of college president and board of trustees would permit classes in such nonsense?

The fact that unscrupulous parents paid millions for special favors from college administrators to enroll their children pales in comparison to the poor educational outcomes, not to mention the gross indoctrination of young people by leftist professors.

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Solutions Are Obvious
Solutions Are Obvious

The largest fraud in higher education is the handing out of advanced degrees in what are essentially opinions. No one should be able to get an advanced degree in something as bogus as economics, psychiatry, psychology, black studies, and the rest of the Humanities and Social Sciences.

A Bachelors should be the maximum degree in fields that can’t prove empirically what they say is true. That would get rid of the bulk of the bullshit artists in the climate scam and force the bankers to let loose their coterie of paid for economists that will affirm every ridiculous idea the bankers come up with.

SeeBee
SeeBee

It is a fraud (much of it anyway). And why people keep “buying” into it is a mystery to me. I hired many people in my day…and the last thing I looked at was their higher education. As a matter of fact, I could usually predict the “institution” of higher learning they attended by their attitude and demeanor. A good predictor of their efficacy in the workplace was what they did in their early years. Whether it was stock shelves or deliver papers or work within the family business. Grunt work, but honorable.

Solutions Are Obvious
Solutions Are Obvious

People are impressed by titles.

When I encounter someone with a bullshitology degree like economics, I know for a fact that the person can’t think logically or rationally. The process of getting a bullshitology degree destroys what little critical thinking ability the person had to be able to assume a mode of thinking so vapid as to believe their ‘professional’ nonsense.

Even some portions of the ‘hard sciences’ are affected. Geology, Cosmology, Astro Physics, and many others come up with one theory and then start building additional theories atop the first to arrive at a place that no longer resembles reality itself.

“… a theory built on questionable assumptions should never be the basis for new theories.” – Stephen Smith

SeeBee
SeeBee

Degrees used to mean something probably pre-1990’s. But when Progressive (vs. Traditional) method of education fully infiltrated and dominated the system, the need for higher education became necessary. It extended adolescence and ignorance.

Reluctant Warrior
Reluctant Warrior

Why refer to it as education when it is really about indoctrination. Let’s refer to it as higher indoctrination.

anarchyst
anarchyst

The “college degree” became the “gatekeeper” when the supreme court outlawed the use of aptitude tests by private employers due to so-called “disparate impact”. You see, not enough “certain” minorities were qualifying for employment in “certain” occupations. The supreme court opinion “Griggs v. Duke Power” sealed the deal…

diverdown
diverdown

And now that key degree is rapidly showing to
be utterly worthless. Most of those admitted primarily due
to a perceived ‘need’ to ‘expand diversity’ simply
lack the mental horsepower to be in any type
of institution of higher learning.

A perfect example of this is one Marquell McClendon (guess
the race) who was Valedictorian (!) of her Detroit high school
(big surprise) struggling with 8th Grade algebra(!) in her
first year at Michigan State:

https://dailycaller.com/2019/12/03/detroit-valedictorian-math-msu/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11159

She says she is majoring in biomedical laboratory science.

Bwahahahahaha………….

A college degree today is barely worth what a High School
diploma was 50 years ago………..

Mr H
Mr H

A lot of today’s high tech employers do have functional skills tests. A local software development company gives every applicant a test to complete solutions for five of the most common software development problems each generally stated. Each solution for each problem for each applicant is scored in each of four categories. A local metal fabrication company has a skill test for every fabricator applicant in all of the fabrication skills the company uses. The test is done at the fabrication skill work center. And a local engineering company uses the state professional engineering license test by requiring applicants to be licensed and up to date in the state. Not all businesses can run this kind of testing, but they can have the conditional hiring for the first 90 days. That works too.

Jack Mack
Jack Mack

The value kneegrow diversity.

M G
M G

When I went to college, it was on a GI Bill scholarship. That sounds like something I earned but it was actually Vocational Rehabilitation for a back injury that eliminated my ability to pass a Class III Flight Physical, required to be an aircrew member. When I discovered the back strain “entitled” me to at least 48 months of higher education, tuition, books and subsistence allowance of around $600 monthly, I felt like I’d hit the jackpot.

I realize now it was that odd timing my life seems to have. Right place at the right time seems a regular theme and for that I am thankful. However, if I don’t reflect upon the events of my life and compare and contrast that experience to current events, of what worth is living for?

My VA scholarship was not a “fixed” amount. It was whatever costs my education required. A nice Canon Rebel camera helped, as did a professional publishing quality printer and any and all books I wanted to purchase through the University bookstore. So, I abused it too, not realizing the game I’d managed to get into. I was a nice statistic I suppose.

So, the parking situation at OU was terrible, with driving students expected to park a mile off campus and ride a shuttle. I resented the faculty lots behind the buildings and sent a serious suggestion to David Boren that he auction off the faculty spots to the highest bidder. I knew good and well the VA would pay for me to have a personal parking spot. Does that make me like Laura Loughlin? And elitist of a different sort?

Glock-N-Load

Yes but, in your case you abused the taxpayer.

Ghost

If I can help but one child isn’t it worth it?

Glock-N-Load

Us ungrateful civilians probably would be just a “bit” grateful if the MIC focused on it’s raison d’etre. But sadly it was all a pathetic fraud. A make work program/”capitalist” wet dream…get young people to kill people over there so we can own the world.

Why do I keep losing my freedoms while at the same time I am constantly told about the greatness of our “heroes”?

Sorry Mags, we’re never gonna see eye to eye on this. Pink Floyd…get ya some.

robert h siddell jr
robert h siddell jr

And I earned 4 years of GI Bill as a Viet Nam Era Vet but the Democrats cancelled it before I got out and could use it (about 1983); they immediately reinstated it for new GIs though. When Democrats cut SS, they need to cut Welfare too but I bet my ass they won’t.

Ghost

I was in the VEAP window and was not eligible. I had no idea Voc Rehab was a goldplated discharge.

I apologize Donkey. My VA counselor wanted me rehabilitated and educated.

robert h siddell jr
robert h siddell jr

The public education system is now a Bolshevik Sixth Column.

MrLiberty
MrLiberty

The problems for these parents occurred when they decided to go around the traditional mechanisms for rich folks to get their kids into college. Had they simply made a “donation” to the endowment fund or similar, nothing would have happened, and their useless spawn would have gained entrance. Instead, they gave their money to a middleman, who made sure that the college never saw a dime. When the colleges found out, they got their government hired goons to throw the book at everyone involved. The status quo does not like being left out of the process….or the profits.

Just a Medic
Just a Medic

Excellent point… The real trigger for the “admissions scandal” hand-wringing was the college endowment funds being excluded from Mr. Singer’s novel pay-to-play scheme.

overthecliff
overthecliff

I complained to my middle manager boss about the quality of new employees. He replied ,”If you think they are bad, think about the kids they are raising.” Darwin will sort this all out.

Mr H
Mr H

I have four times taught remedial Algebra classes at local colleges and Junior Colleges. These were non-credit courses at standard tuition rates. The students roughly fell into four categories: those who were overly challenged by the material, those who were completely lacking self discipline who did not do their course work, those challenged and capable but ill trained, and those who had a bad test day. The first two categories of students were apparently admitted only for the institution to collect their money for a semester or two before they dropped out with a high debt load to pay. The first two categories should have newer been admitted. The third category were students who might be able to graduate if they had the tenacity to do so, but were likely to be marginal students if they ever graduated. These were not nationally known schools and one of the Junior Colleges had a major focus on high level craft/trade skills needed in the manufacturing, construction, and service industries rather than rote academics. This one was the best of the lot whose graduates have excellent reputations for being highly skilled. This is the kind of school a whole lot of high school should attend instead of the ultra high debt from bogus courses and a fraudulent degree from a brand name school unless they are truly highly qualified academic students in the top 20% of today’s college applicants.

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