The Fora: A Higher Education Community

As for Trump... Of course it was a torrent of lies, but I actually think he acquitted himself well, in his own way. He conveyed the impression that he has it together, which is the kind of reassurance Republicans want and need.

Is this a joke?

Good morning!

Pangram and genius. QB yesterday--last word was idiocy.

Happy solving!

As a childless cat lady, I endorse Taylor Swift endorsing a candidate. The Oprahfication of American politics must continue!

I did not watch the "debate." I was directing a cat hostage rescue operation.

Harris did well overall, which was no real surprise. What is surprising is that she still has no good answer about her policy flips. Surely someone can feed her a good line already. Geeze.

The remark about having to sit next to strangers on a plane was... Well, it didn't quite convey what she intended. Talking about fracking and climate change in the same breath is also not a great idea. Her brief remarks on Gaza were extremely disappointing, but not unexpected given what she's been saying. I'm particularly unimpressed with her basically saying outright that the indiscriminate killing of civilians is acceptable, save that the number looks a leetle too high right now. If she wins and follows through on doing nothing, history will not look kindly on Democrats.


As for Trump... Of course it was a torrent of lies, but I actually think he acquitted himself well, in his own way. He conveyed the impression that he has it together, which is the kind of reassurance Republicans want and need. Yes, he's happy spouting whatever 4chan cooks up, but I think that for an awful lot of his actual and potential voters, they either already believe some version of it or it just doesn't matter because some other pet issue (tax cuts, probably, and self-enrichment for the rich ones) looms larger. For those people, it doesn't matter whether he thinks lizard people kill newborns in delivery rooms, so long as he looks able and willing to service their core issue. And he looked to me like he'd be up to that task.

There's a kind of Democrat fantasy out there that he's demented and can't cope. And while it certainly seems true that he's not as nimble as he was eight years ago (and that he's a moron, and that he likes to indulge his audience of conspiracists), he just doesn't present as the dementia candidate. Unlike his erstwhile opponent. Who, happily, has been replaced by an infinitely better candidate, despite her faults.

Im not going to say that I am neutral.  I have distinct preferences.

At least one side of the debate is just lying.

Inflation is the highest ever.... (anyone remember the late 70s?)
Immigrants are eating pets!
Prisons and mental institutions are being emptied to send people to the US
Democrats support killing babies after they are born/ Democrats support abortion up to the 9th month/... 
and many more.

And he proudly took a bullet to the head to save us all.

I can only hope that his anger turns off those that may be in the middle and undecided, ( or maybe just leaning the MAGA way).

My manuscript revision submitted a month ago finally got assigned to an editor and will hopefully go back to reviewers soon.

Quote from: Hibush on September 10, 2024, 01:53:24 PM

Quote from: Mobius on September 10, 2024, 09:48:05 AMt's too soon, but I'd love to see data on job outcomes for the 90-credit grads compared to the traditional bachelor's degree at BYU-I.

I don't think it is a realistic comparison because the student base is so different. Traditional BYI-I students are a year or so older than elsewhere because they have done a mission. They have largely been on a college track through high school.

BYU-I students in the 90-credit program are "those who have not felt higher education was a viable option for them." Demographically, they "The average online student is 33 years old, takes two classes at a time, works full time and supports a family."

The relevant comparison is with those who don't go back to school.
In fact, if you did compare job outcomes post graduation, the 90-credit alumni will likely be far ahead because they have at least a decade of work experience more than the traditional ones.

The quoted article is a gem: Talk about content control and market segmentation!

The Gen Ed Jobs Program for faculty stays. It's the electives that go. Choice for thee, but not for me.

It's all on-line so that there is minimal substitution out of a 4-year degree program. And, it's limited in subject matter.

One can't do a better job of making the three year option unattractive. That's one purpose of accreditation.

Quote from: Mobius on September 10, 2024, 09:48:05 AMt's too soon, but I'd love to see data on job outcomes for the 90-credit grads compared to the traditional bachelor's degree at BYU-I.

I don't think it is a realistic comparison because the student base is so different. Traditional BYI-I students are a year or so older than elsewhere because they have done a mission. They have largely been on a college track through high school.

BYU-I students in the 90-credit program are "those who have not felt higher education was a viable option for them." Demographically, they "The average online student is 33 years old, takes two classes at a time, works full time and supports a family."

The relevant comparison is with those who don't go back to school.
In fact, if you did compare job outcomes post graduation, the 90-credit alumni will likely be far ahead because they have at least a decade of work experience more than the traditional ones.

Quote from: spork on September 10, 2024, 09:14:27 AM...

The most efficient solution is to fire all faculty members so that more non-teaching staff can be hired:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/05/bureaucratic-bloat-eating-american-universities-inside/678324/

But the source of bureaucratic bloat is that it is financed. There's too much money around.

It's too soon, but I'd love to see data on job outcomes for the 90-credit grads compared to the traditional bachelor's degree at BYU-I.