Analysis Of Why College Shouldn T Take 4 Years By Lamar Alexander

605 Words3 Pages

Why college shouldn’t take 4 years The article “Why College Shouldn’t take 4 Years” published by Newsweek, Lamar Alexander begins by comparing college to the big four in the auto industry. Alexander compares college and an industry as a business that needs to be reformed before something bigger and better takes its place. He says that college is stuck in the past with the fall and spring semester model and can be reformed to a more intensive year around schooling for more efficient use of the school buildings. Other problems he brings up are tenure, which destroys new ideas, and tuition expenses, which is due to the decrease of governmental funding to colleges. Alexander then brings up the idea of three year degrees and how they save money for students. This could be done by increasing the workload per year or having students to start acquiring credits earlier like in high school. The down sides he brings up are the students have less time to grow up and try new things but it still something that should be offered …show more content…

Newsweek gives questions to debate over that centers around the three year degree. The beginning they talk about the brokenness of higher education which led to debating over three years of college. Hansen presents that three year degrees have always been an option so if anyone wanted one then it is right there. Cost is brought up which is a plus for three year degrees but some people in the debate don’t see it as an issue. They then debate the readiness of the student and ask what high schools can do to improve upon it. Zemsky brings up that high school seniors should be given college courses and Ravitch says that high schools should ditch the “no child left behind” idea. Later they debate of online college as well but state that it does not change