In PJ Media the Wrestling Lady in DC noted:
“Two weeks in, millions of American students are still going to school, teachers are getting paid, and schools are operating as normal,” McMahon emphasized. “It confirms what the President has said: the federal Department of Education is unnecessary, and we should return education to the states.”
But it did not stop her from "advising" Universities how to do their tasks. Perhaps this is nothing more than the "blind leading the blind"
I was thinking about MIT and foreign grad students. Consider the following:
1. 40% of the grad students are foreign
2. There are about 5000 grad students so that is 2000 foreign students
3. Half of them are PRC students or 1,000 students from the PRC
4. All grad students are funded by some form of research, almost solely from the US Government
5. The student costs paid for at $60,000 tuition and $40,000 support, or $100,000 per student per year
6. The PRC students are thus supported by we the Taxpayers for $100 million per year
7. When I was there in 60s we had no USSR students
8. The PRC students are there under the rubric of the US State Dept viusa program
9. The research grants do not restrict who is supported
Now think about this.
This ludicrous "Compact" that the folks in Washington issued will, if implemented against Universities, will destroy American excellence. Consider the opening paragraph:
American higher education is the envy of the world and represents a key strategic benefit for our
Nation. In turn, the U.S. university system benefits in a variety of ways from its extraordinary relationship
with the U.S. government. These include (i) access to student loans, grant programs, and federal contracts; (ii) funding for research directly or indirectly; (iii) approval of student and other visas in connection with university matriculation and instruction; and (iv) preferential treatment under the tax code. To advance the national interest arising out of this unique relationship, this Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education represents the priorities of the U.S. government in its engagements with universities that benefit from the relationship. Institutions of higher education are free to develop models and values other than those below, if the institution elects to forego federal benefits
This is a clear threat. Do what we tell you or we will bankrupt you! Who in their right mind would do this. Yes Universities have their childish problems. Yet this is more than throwing the baby out with the bath water, it a Hammas like act of execution.
There is a tool that works, namely via funding. If one wants to limit foreign nationals in Grad school, funded under Government contracts then put that in the contract. Namely only US citizens.
Visa controls are already in place. Why burden the University. If the R&D funding delimits foreign nationals then clearly the system will act accordingly.
In my opinion the issue is getting more US students in Grad school. Is a PRC student really better than any US student? If they are blame US education. If not, then fix it via funding.
This clearly is one of the most egregious documents I have ever read. In my opinion it reads like it was written by some Community College drop out trying to get revenge.
MIT published the statistics on international students. It is interesting in that:
1. 12% of the undergraduates and 40% of the graduate students are foreign.
2. Of the grad students 25% are from the PRC, and totals 1,000 from PRC in both grad and undergrad.
In my time I don't think we had a single USSR student.
In addition, are the US students that poor that they cannot get admission? MIT funding is mosl;y from the US Government and perhaps one should be focusing on training ad educating US citizens first.
In The Tech there is a great discussion of the demands the Government is placing upon MIT for funding. Simply stated they ask
1. Admission etc predicated solely upon academic performance.
As we had discussed before this makes eminent sense. No essays, no pictures, no "save the world" interns. Just grades.
2. Eliminate Campus organizations that create a hostile environment
In my days, SDS was a player seeking to destroy the campus. Campus organizations frankly should be few and far between. The amateur radio club may make sense, the amateur railroad club, etc.
3. Free tuition if endowment greater than $2 million per student, except for students from "wealthy" families
I never paid tuition, through my PhD. Scholarships, fellowships, teaching fellowships. All performance based and for the most part Government financed.
4. Freeze tuition rates for five years
This is sticky. First the rates are obscene. But they are artifacts not real.
Now 1 above is fine and I have noted this. 2 above may be a bit sticky since I never belonged to such an organization and back in the day SDS for example was not a Campus supported on.
Number 3 is a bit of a push, schools have gotten themselves in this mess with their crazy tuition support rules and over priced tuition.
4 may make sense since it is bloated as is.
Priority Mail is in my opinion and my experience a scam. It is nothing more than a fancy envelope, a tracking number, a high price and a letter that gets no where or worse to the wrong place! Not once did they ever deliver as they promised, not one single time! Many were lost, mis-delivered, delayed etc.
If we are closing down the Government I suggest the USPS first. Let Amazon deliver mail. They seem to get 90%+ of my packages on time. Next day even. Try that at the USPS.
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