Re: Not about business models

[PHRP@FHSUVM.FHSU.EDU (Roger A. Pruitt)]

> At 3:57 PM -0600 12/11/96, Roger A. Pruitt wrote:
> > (I can think of producing the best particle physicists in the world, but if
> > there is limited demand for particle physicists then we are not doing our
> > job.)
> >
> > A misreading of one of my previous postings implied that I was advocating
> > that governors and others outside the academy should dictate what we teach.
> > No so, and I hope that I have made my point more clearly this time. I
> > believe that our product are well educated students, and that the customers
> > for our product are the many places were they can further their education
> > and seek employment.
>
> I'm still uncomfortable with this model as it implies that our purpose is
> training instead of education.
>
> Larry
>
> P.S. Maybe the ivory tower is more real than the real world is.
There are surely students who go to college or the university to become
educated in the finest sense of the word. However, I don't think the vast
majority do. I think they go on with post secondary "education" to make
themselves more competative in the job market. 

Before I'm jumped on by the readership of this list, I would like to say
that I also think there is a difference between state supported institutions
and private institutions both in mission and student body. I have taught
with colleagues who have taught in both types of intitutions and prefer the
private over the state supported because of the differences in the missions
of the schools and the student body.

Roger