Is College Worth It?

I posted some thoughts about the future of education a couple of days back, but the one, only Instapundit dug up this link which is worth reading. And then, just to underline the point about the need for reform in the educational system, the Press-Citizen had this news: UI To Offer Certificate In Leadership Studies

This is exactly what I'm talking about and it's also sorta the solution we need. On the face of it, a 'Certificate In Leadership Studies' seems like the typical academia-speak for 'piece of paper worth about as much as that wad of toilet paper you wiped your ass with early this morning,' but I think we'll see trends in this direction over the long term. If universities are going to be about getting people to actually attend and help them along their way in life, then more certificate programs for job training and the like would be nice.

But reading the article, it doesn't seem like the UofI is being that far-sighted about things. Plus, is leadership something that you can learn? It seems like more of a binary state to me: either you got it or you don't and if I'm a prospective employer who sees a 'Certificate In Leadership Studies' on a resumé, I'm not going to be that impressed. I may laugh a little bit, but impressed? Nope. Leadership isn't something you learn in a classroom and can get a piece of paper for. You learn it by going out there and doing it.

So at the end of the day, it's exactly what I'm talking about: a good notion in general for the future of higher education (quick focused certificates to help people in the job market as a posed to clunky degrees that aren't that mobile)- yet at the same time what's wrong with higher ed: bullshit courses and degrees like 'Leadership Studies.'