The lowering of higher education

Colleges and universities have been in the news much of late. The news, however, has been strangely devoid of comment on high education's essential mission; engaging students in the world of ideas and getting them ready for their life's journey. Instead, the news reports are about date rape, binge drinking, protests and cancellation of speakers with unpopular ideas and, of course, the dangers of microaggressions and providing students with "safe spaces."

Not that long ago, getting a "college education" was a serious pursuit. Students who could do the work and hold down a part-time job were rare and much admired. Standards were high and rigorously enforced. Nowadays, one rarely hears about someone getting "kicked out of college" for poor academic performance. Today, dismissing a freshman could mean the school's loss of $200,000 over the next four years.