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Another Yalie speaks his mind
Our friends at Minding the Campus have published a Yale student's reflections on his education in New Haven. Matt Shaffer concludes his account of "Disorientation at Yale" by noting that for all its shortcomings, "the university still provides magnificent opportunities to those who know where to look to get a great education... It still provides an opportunity. But it no longer demands that its students become truly educated. It has other fish to fry."
Shaffer's closing remarks make a point that many critics of WhatWillTheyLearn.com fail to grasp. By giving Yale an "F" for only requiring one of the seven core subjects on which we grade universities, we are of course not saying that you can't get a good education there. The opportunity, in Shaffer's words, is still there. But the opportunity isn't enough. Universities have a responsibility to guide students and to make sure they don't squander the opportunity to get a solid well-rounded education.
That's one fish they should be frying.
Posted by David Azerrad on August 26, 2009 at August 26, 2009 04:15 PM
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