So, you want to spend $40K a year to send your kid to college

[Abbey Marie]

We just returned from visiting two colleges that our daughter is interested in attending. After hearing the speeches from both schools, watching promotional videos, and going on some long campus tours, the schools have expressed their priorities in the following order:

1. Achieving diversity on campus
2. Emphasizing a "multi-cultural" education
3. "Honoring" diversity.
4. Acceptance of any and all behavior except lying, cheating or stealing.
5. Educating our kids in time-honored curriculum.


Just a couple of anecdotes to show how it is in those ivory towers today:

1. During the 10-day 2008 orientation of the freshmen at Dartmouth, all students were told to recite the Pledge of Allegiance- to a rainbow gay pride flag.

2. The new Dean of William & Mary recently secretly removed a golden cross from the chapel in the Wren building (originally built in 1695) during the night. He felt it wasn't "welcoming" to everyone. After some serious protest, his own hand-picked committe decided he must put it back in the building.

[Yurt]

its disgusting and truly a sad state of american affairs. many do not feel they can trust a university to educate their children instead of brainwash them. that pledging to the gay flag is one of the big reasons people who do not support the gay lifestyle are so angry, it is forcing that lifestyle on someon, that is not tolerance or acceptance, that is the opposite of freedom. imagine a state school forcing a pledge to a religious group...

[CockySOB]

The priorities should be (IMHO)

1) Teach to the top of the class, rather than the middle of the class.
2) Don't mollycoddle anyone. Make the students EARN their degrees!
3) Emphasize the fundamentals of mathematics, reading and writing for ALL students.
4) Teach oral communication skills with an emphasis on real-world communications.
5) Allow the students to decide where they wish to specialize: sciences, liberal arts or fine arts. Just remember #1 and #2 above!

and, 6) When in doubt, refer to #1 and #2 above.

[LiberalNation]

They empasized diversity a lot at my freshman orientation. U of L the most diverse university in Kentucky which it very well is. We have very few metropolis areas in Kentucky. Still rather conservative tho, the pro-life groups were at in force recruiting during lunch, about a billion different religious clubs and orgs wanting you to join. There was spuffs on everything from drinking to abstinence which were entertaining.

[Gaffer]

Sounds like two schools I would steer my kids far away from. If I were you I would do some more checking on other schools.

[avatar4321]

Glad I didnt go to any of those schools.

I had $10,000 loan debt at the end of my bachelors (I have since screwed that up with law school).

And my school focused both on educational excellence and doing it with honor.

[Abbey Marie]

Sounds like two schools I would steer my kids far away from. If I were you I would do some more checking on other schools.

I hear you. The two schools we just saw were University of Virginia and William & Mary. The problem is, most schools today are like this, or not too far from it. Especially if you want to go to a school with a well-recognized name. I have been reading a book that rates schools based on various things such as tolerance for conservative points of view, and these two were far from the worst.

I just kept thinking, I don't want our money going to support a school that will do such things.

[LiberalNation]

Plenty of exspensive private religious schools to indocrinate the right way if you're that worried.

[Abbey Marie]

Plenty of exspensive private religious schools to indocrinate the right way if you're that worried.

Well, gee, how about we just pay them to teach the subjects, sans any indoctrination? What a concept.

[Yurt]

Well, gee, how about we just pay them to teach the subjects, sans any indoctrination? What a concept.

only the religion of no religion is acceptable, i think many people do not understand the establishment clause, possibly many justices who have presided over it as well

[gabosaurus]

The priorities should be (IMHO)

1) Teach to the top of the class, rather than the middle of the class.
2) Don't mollycoddle anyone. Make the students EARN their degrees!
3) Emphasize the fundamentals of mathematics, reading and writing for ALL students.
4) Teach oral communication skills with an emphasis on real-world communications.
5) Allow the students to decide where they wish to specialize: sciences, liberal arts or fine arts. Just remember #1 and #2 above!

and, 6) When in doubt, refer to #1 and #2 above.

Strangely enough, that is EXACTLY what the University of California at Berkeley was all about.
Professors taught at their pace, not yours. They proceeded through their course outline regardless of who was present. In the majority of my classes, a large portion of your grade was based on class participation. In upper level classes particularly, the instructors were not afraid to challenge students on points. You have to be ready to defend your points.
I had classes that included lecture and assigned reading. Exams covered both. So if you missed a lecture, or failed to do the reading, you were SOL.

I could have gone to an easier college and gotten a degree. I went to Cal because I enjoy being challenged. Cal is a no-slack place. You swim or drown.

Tuition is about $35,000 a year. I had a full academic scholarship, so my parents paid nothing.

[LiberalNation]

Well, gee, how about we just pay them to teach the subjects, sans any indoctrination? What a concept.

Now that you wont find. It's a college full of politics and ideas and campus groups. Prefessors come in all stripes same as high school teachers I'd suspect. Keep your head down, don't get involved, and indoctrination is minimal.

[glockmail]

.... all students were told to recite the Pledge of Allegiance- to a rainbow gay pride flag. ...

"I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of gay and lesbian pride. And to the perversion, from which it stands, United Nations, forsaking god, reprehensible, with health care, and income distribution, for all."

[LiberalNation]

Was it a pride flag alone or was it with an American flag and assorted others. Story is hard to believe. If it was a pride flag alone that's pretty stupid and pointless if it was with others somebody is making a big deal cuz of their own agenda.

[midcan5]

I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time buying into this. Do you have anything concrete online, say, to confirm this?