Does Perry Want to Dumb Down UT?

So did UT suck when it was more affordable? I hate agreeing with Rick Fairy on something, and I'm sure he's doing this for nefarious reasons. However, bringing down tuition is a noble goal, and what's happened with tuition since 2003 when the Legislature let the universities financially sodomize the public with no accountability or restraint (which dumbass Perry hailed at the time) is an outrage.

Money doesn't automatically make a university better anymore than it automatically makes public schools better. Costs need to be brought under control - at UT, A&M, and everywhere else.
 
Whatever our governor's faults, he has no problem with self esteem. I frankly think financial accountabiliity (for someone besides parents) is a good idea in the educational world. I know there is a place for bricks, mortar and professors in front of the classroom, but I did a lot of online learning in getting financial licenses and a master's degree and at least for me it was a darned good way to learn.
 
Given that most bachelor's degrees from UT are no longer worth the money you spend on it, I'd say Perry is doing a good thing here.
 
I think tuition was about $150/semester when I went there and that included the blanket tax to get me into all the football, bball, and baseball games.

High cost doesn't necessarily equate to the best education. If it did, America would have the best educated high school grads in the world.
 
How much of tuition goes towards teaching students in the classroom setting? It seems like the costs of this would be pretty close to the national inflation rate over the years. Where is the rest of the money going? Research and fancy facilities?
 
2012_10_BevoChart_Stack1.gif
 
I think we are entering a period in history where a university degree is seen as just another means of preparing oneself for life and work — and for an increasing number of people, not the most attractive option and certainly not a necessity.

I have two boys, ages 10 and 12, and I seriously question whether 4+ years of their lives and many thousands of dollars of investment is the wisest approach for the world they will be living and working in as adults. Of course much of that hinges upon what they choose to do, but I do think that in the years to come universities will have to work a little harder to make a case for their own relevance.
 
We could eliminate the Diversity Department and use the millions wasted there on lowering tuition for students and adding professors. That would be a good start. I know it would be difficult for students to determine which Halloween costumes are offensive, but I bet they could figure it out.
I point this departmnent out as it was not in any way needed when I attended, and therefore is not needed today.
 
The "modern" GOP and its followers really are just the Know Nothings. It is amazing how history repeats itself.
 
I definitely respect your opinion. It is uncommon for parents to guide their children in the manner. I guess my thought is that the jobs that don't require a degree are often less desirable for reasons other than money. But then again it might be nice to be a bartender on the beach somewhere and spend my time fishing and chasing women.
 
You probably won't get rich without a degree, but you can make a good living without it if you have a marketable skill. My brother makes about $100K per year working for a company that installs and maintains computer and networking systems for companies. He basically taught himself and has no degree and basically BS'd his way through high school. Furthermore, a good auto mechanic or plumber can also make a respectable living without a degree.

However, I think this whole issue is just more reason why we need to drop the idiotic "every child has endless potential" crap and adopt a real track system in high school. The pot-smoking loser who skips school every other day probably isn't going to become a brain surgeon, but if he wakes up and gets a life, he might become a respectable plumber. No shame in that.
 
Typical paso, he drops a loaded graphic and then calls people who disagree with him stupid.

So according to that graph spending has gone up at UT by 367 percent, while he implies that we have "cut" spending, when in fact the problem is that we've only increased spending by $69 million.

And if that raises an eyebrow, it means you're stupid or hate kids or are racist or something.
 
nice ad hominem attack

The state has cut its percentage of funding UT tremendously over the years. It has not even kept up with actual inflation and in the current legislative session they propose cutting it even more (in real dollars not relative to inflation).

UT has raised tuition, in part, to cover this shortfall.

I personally think Professor Powers knows way more about value and education and how to run UT than Perry, but you are welcome to keep voting him into office. This is a political battle with my school being the ultimate loser (actually my only true school affiliation is with the law school and we are somewhat independent of the undergrads). I care about UT not friggin Rick Perry or his big money donors with a hard on for ******* up my school.

And do we really need to look at what the Republican Party has done and is doing to the public schools? There is an obvious pathology at work.

How about some more personal attacks?
 
The state's percentage of funding has gone from 47% to 13%. It has not even kept up with inflation. State funding for UT has gone from $236 million in 1985 to $305 million today. This rise has not kept pace with inflation.

Do I expect that someone providing 13% of the funding should have some overwhelming influence on UT?

Nope.

Grants and tuition form a much larger portion of the school's funding and they should have more say in how the school is operated than the governor or legislature.

This is a power play by Perry and he has no interest in bettering the school.

As for public schools, you might want to look at what Judge Dietz found yesterday (for the third time I believe). The state inadequately funds public education in violation of the state Constitution.

Do we really need to look at the percentages and dollar amounts on this too? You really need look no further than last legislative session where the legislature, rather than touch the rainy day fund, cut funding to public schools. It is pathetic. And the latest attack is vouchers because the public schools are not adequately performing.

I wonder why this is?
 
The original post concerned Perry's desire to force UT to offer $10,000 degrees. While we certainly can argue about the efficacy of some "discount" UT degree (as in dumbest idea ever), I actually was focusing more on the complaints about the tuition.

As a parent who just put a child through college and is now putting her through medical school, UT tuition is still relatively affordable. My daughter got into UT, but did not like the size. She also received a much better scholarship package from a private school which made the costs roughly equivalent.

I think for Perry or the legislature to complain about the tuition cost is hypocritical. A very important reason why tuition has risen at UT is because the state is not adequately funding UT. My chart reflects this change in the funding.
 
If you have the time, you can find quotes from ricky fairy questioning the merits of University research and tenured professors. While in theory reducing costs is a worthy idea, the background of Fairy's interest here is a 'distrust of liberal professors' - yes even those libs in College Station.

Clearly you can see from the board here attending UT or atm does not make one Liberal. From what I and many people see- yes he does want to water down the education and dumb it down.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top