Dean of the Business School..
I sat down at lunch today with the Dean of a Business School. It was a good school, but I don't want to say which one in case someone finds out who she was and quotes this. In any case, I was very honored to be eating with her and had a chance afterwards to sit down and talk about respect issues our institutions face. She told me some things that, while I knew them, still managed to shock me.
It's odd, sometimes, when you hear statistics you already know, but used in a context that you didn't expect. For example, it suprised me to hear the Dean of a Business school say that her main concern was the socio-economic differences students face. That 60% of students whose parents graduated will finish, while only 20% of those whose parents didn't, will not. Or that their honor code is skewed toward those who have the money to not have to work. She explained that, when you're working two jobs, and trying to go to school full time, you simply don't have time to finish the paper that someone else has worked on for weeks.
She explained that it's not an excuse, but that she could personally see how the differences perpetuate inequalities. We talked about what we could do, as heads of institutions, as people on the "inside" to help alleviate those, and she said how worried she was the Supreme Court would decide against the school integration case which is on the docket right now.
It's tough, when there are such obvious problems with no obvious solutions. When you know you have to help, but you don't know how (and worse yet, when your hands are tied...)
She asked if we have any issues here with socio-economic groupings and, while I can't say the admissions process is skewed toward the rich, by virtue of what it takes to get in here (AP courses, varsity sports, high SAT's, involvement in Boy/Girl Scouts and Community Activities), it does skew toward the higher classes as any other higher level education would. We do, however, have the advantage of a very agressive Sports program, which allows for more selective admissions and opens doors for those who would otherwise not be able to get in, along with the enlisted enterance slots.
I guess, all things considered, I'm happy I'm where I am and think WP is doing a good job, we could do more. But, society as a whole could do more, and that's the problem. Why is it that if someone cannot afford college, then a college degree is, in essence, denied him, when it is the very attainment of that degree which will most highly predict his, and his children's, success in the future? Difficult question with, yet again, no simple answer.
It's odd, sometimes, when you hear statistics you already know, but used in a context that you didn't expect. For example, it suprised me to hear the Dean of a Business school say that her main concern was the socio-economic differences students face. That 60% of students whose parents graduated will finish, while only 20% of those whose parents didn't, will not. Or that their honor code is skewed toward those who have the money to not have to work. She explained that, when you're working two jobs, and trying to go to school full time, you simply don't have time to finish the paper that someone else has worked on for weeks.
She explained that it's not an excuse, but that she could personally see how the differences perpetuate inequalities. We talked about what we could do, as heads of institutions, as people on the "inside" to help alleviate those, and she said how worried she was the Supreme Court would decide against the school integration case which is on the docket right now.
It's tough, when there are such obvious problems with no obvious solutions. When you know you have to help, but you don't know how (and worse yet, when your hands are tied...)
She asked if we have any issues here with socio-economic groupings and, while I can't say the admissions process is skewed toward the rich, by virtue of what it takes to get in here (AP courses, varsity sports, high SAT's, involvement in Boy/Girl Scouts and Community Activities), it does skew toward the higher classes as any other higher level education would. We do, however, have the advantage of a very agressive Sports program, which allows for more selective admissions and opens doors for those who would otherwise not be able to get in, along with the enlisted enterance slots.
I guess, all things considered, I'm happy I'm where I am and think WP is doing a good job, we could do more. But, society as a whole could do more, and that's the problem. Why is it that if someone cannot afford college, then a college degree is, in essence, denied him, when it is the very attainment of that degree which will most highly predict his, and his children's, success in the future? Difficult question with, yet again, no simple answer.
posted by Adam at 3:04 PM
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