A new study from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni claims that colleges and universities have done a shoddy job preparing students for the future.
ACTA claims “the results show that most colleges and universities are failing students by allowing them to graduate with vast gaps in their skills and knowledge” in a press release.
“What Will They Learn?” analyzes more than 1,100 higher-education institutions and whether they require seven core subjects for a liberal arts education: composition, literature, foreign language, U.S. history and government, economics, mathematics, and science.
To receive an “A” grade, the institution must require at least six of the subjects. Only 24 schools, 2 percent, earn an “A.” A healthier 371 schools, 33 percent earn a “B.” Another 371 schools, however, earn a “D” or “F.”
The ratings cover general requirements at the institution, which means that some majors or schools within an institution would receive a higher rating.
Ohio University, for example, (this writer’s alma mater) received a “D” grade, only requiring composition and science in its general requirements. Its journalism requirements, however, include economics and English, which would increase the grade to a “B.” Foreign-language and history requirements are included, but do not meet ACTA’s definition for success. So Ohio University as a whole receives a “D” grade, but programs within the institution can do better.
One wonders what tuition and tax dollars are going toward when most colleges don’t require basic economics, foreign language, American history or even literature,” Michael Poliakoff, director of the “What Will They Learn?” project, said in the press release.
The average four-year graduation rate for the 24 “A” schools was about 47.3 percent, well above the 39.4 percent average four-year graduation rate for all 4-year institutions.
