College INC Essay

This film focuses on the ethics of for profit educational institutions. With most of the coverage revolving around what critics characterize as the unethical and disloyal failure to inform students of the huge debt burden they will incur. Also the low graduation and retention rates to which they may fall victim, and the struggle they will likely face to obtain employment after graduation. The Huffington Post reported, that students from for-profit schools are more likely to borrow and drop out than at nonprofit schools. The report also finds that the majority of enrolled students  leave without a degree, half of them within four months. Most of the schools’ money was spent on recruiting, marketing, profiting, and CEO salaries whereas less than 18 percent was spent on instruction. The schools’ chief executive officers made an average of $7. 3 million. Nonprofits, state governments, and the federal government have made various attempts to regulate these institutions more carefully. The Obama administration and the U. S. Department of Education are involved in an ongoing legal battle fighting to force more disclosure by for-profit colleges. Many state legislatures have proposed and passed  laws tightening the governments grip on these institutions. 1 Jordan Schulte 1btaining a higher education does not mean merely that one will be equipped with the skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace. Instead a student should also have the opportunity to learn for learning’s sake. College is a time when students have an opportunity to engross themselves in great texts, immerse themselves in topics that they may never encounter again in their professions, and to think critically about the world’s problems and what it means to be a good, ethical citizen in today’s global society. In fact, since the beginning of higher education in the United States, dating back to Harvard College in 1636, one of the stated purposes has been to prepare citizens for active involvement in community life. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson both pointed out the importance of creating informed and responsible citizens. In the early part of the twentieth century, John Dewey revolutionized the way we think about teaching and learning, arguing that educating is not just about filling receptors with tons of information. Rather, education is a combination of learning information and melding it with life experience. In my view, for-profit institutions are designed to ensure that the objectives of Franklin, Jefferson, and Dewey are not attained; and sometimes actively reversed. In for-profit colleges are taught and trained to follow strict rules, ingest textbooks tailor-made for the specific for-profit institution, complete uniform quizzes and essay 2 Jordan Schulte 2assignments, and remain quiet about the course material and presentation. What is the effect of this approach on the students? For the majority of students, there is tacit consent that they endure the regime simply to reach the end point: receiving a diploma. Some  demonstrate tacit consent by briefly showing up for class, perhaps for five minutes if the instructor is lucky, to ensure being marked present, and then dashing for the door. The strong complete the assignments with minimal effort to receive a grade and pass, whereas others may just give up at when faced with the challenge. THESE FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES MISLEAD THE GULLIBLE, WHO OFTEN CANNOT GET IN TO MORE ESTABLISHED SCHOOLS, INTO THINKING THAT A GLAMOROUS CAREER IN FASHION DESIGN, CULINARY ARTS OR RECORDING ENGINEERING IS JUST A FEW CLASSES AWAY. THERE IS NO COST TO THE STUDENT, AS HE BORROWS FROM THE GOVERNMENT. AND, BEFORE HE EVER GETS THE FIRST STATEMENT ON HIS LOAN, HE WILL RECEIVE A SUBSTANTIAL (SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLAR) REFUNDABLE TAX CREDIT FOR HIS â€Å"EXPENDITURES† ON HIGHER EDUCATION. EVERYONE DOES NOT NEED TO GO TO COLLEGE. PERHAPS THE EXISTENCE OF THESE SCHOOLS IS A REFLECTION OF THE LACK OF PUBLICLY FUNDED VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS OR THE CONSTANT MEDIA MANTRA THAT ONLY THOSE WITH COLLEGE DEGREES CAN ACHIEVE THE AMERICAN DREAM. I WOULD PROPOSE THAT THESE SCHOOLS SHOULD EITHER BE CUT 3 Jordan Schulte 3OFF FROM FEDERAL LOAN FUNDING, OR, BETTER YET, BE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS. 4 Jordan Schulte 4.