Parents’ Weekend at Hillsdale

 

In the morning — yes, Saturday morning — I will get up at the crack of dawn and make my way to the Dow Center at Hillsdale College to meet with the parents of my students and chat with them about the course and how their children are doing. For reasons explained in some detail in a piece I posted five years ago on Powerline, Hillsdale is one of the few places in the country where this is possible. Schools that take federal money do in this matter and in a great many others precisely as they are told, and the gentleman responsible for attaching this particular string to the federal grants to higher education was none other than James Buckley.

If you want to read a proper appreciation of what I and my colleagues will be doing tomorrow morning, you should pick up a copy of Saturday’s Wall Street Journal and read John Miller’s fine article in the Opinion section. Alternatively, you can tap on this link right now and read it online.

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  1. user_358258 Inactive
    user_358258
    @RandyWebster

    Several years ago, a friend of mine, who taught philosophy, had my daughter in his class.  Prior to this, she had always got good grades:  lots of AP in high school, A’s in most of her college classes.  He called me to tell me that she was failing his class, and that it was illegal for him to say that.  I was stunned.  Not so much that she was failing (a totally different story), but that it was illegal for him to tell me.  It seems incredible to me that the people who are paying for a person’s education aren’t entitled to know how that person is doing.

    • #1
  2. Julia PA Inactive
    Julia PA
    @JulesPA

    Randy Webster: It seems incredible to me that the people who are paying for a person’s education aren’t entitled to know how that person is doing.

    It does not seem that law is needed or must be broken to get information from a young adult for whom you are paying tuition.

    It seems a family agreement is in order that the tuition bills will only be paid, or loans co-signed when the “job evaluation” of the grades report is presented to the person paying.

    At the beginning of the process, the payer makes clear to the payee that future payments will be withheld if the “job performance” in college is not satisfactory or meeting the goals. The payer should in advance make clear what is expected in the terms of “employment.”

    It seems legalistic, but it is really just tough love. The young people who ultimately come face to face with tough love demands that are the very ones who need to experience it. And for the very worst cases of party-hardy, maybe the opportunity needs to be put into a legal contract.

    As a student in college who completely depended on the co-signature of parents and government grants, oddly enough we never even had a formal discussion about what was expected of me in college. It also never occurred to me to do less than my best, waste time, accept poor grades or party-hardy. There was no parental pressure, I just did the job I was being “paid” to do: be a student, the best one I could be, with the goal of acquiring the skills I needed to pursue the career I chose.

    Of course there was that situation in the past year of a young woman who was suing her parents to be forced to pay for private school tuition and college.

    http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/blog/can_parents_be_forced_to_pay_f.php

    The insanity continues…but Hillsdale is a protected oasis because they are not married to Uncle Sam.

    • #2
  3. GLDIII Reagan
    GLDIII
    @GLDIII

    Both my boys are now in college, but live at home since good schools are available here in Maryland within commuting distance. They both have worked part time in high school and still while attending classes. The agreement we have with each child is that at the end of each semester we reimburse them for the grades they achieved. 100% for “A”s 80% for “B”s and nothing for lower grades.

    This has worked well for the last three years with number one who chose to share his progress with us after a blow out first semester. (Child did not understand the philosophy of dropping classes and the impact on GPA) He now sends us e mail reports on his progress and get’s tutoring help from Mom since he decided he really is an Accountant, not and Engineer (Did I mention he had a blow out first semester).

    Number two has seen this and has internalized and has been texting images of his “great” grades with self congratulatory commentary (usually leading to an exchange about not getting prematurely cocky) He is also wants to be and engineer and does seem to exhibit “The Knack” and has been causing me to brush up and help his game.

    So we have worked around the “privacy” nonsense using the “Long” method of insuring they have ample Skin in the Game®.

    Well no links or other editing features on my iPad, pity Dilbert’s explanation of The Knack is well worth the 90 seconds…

    • #3
  4. Pony Convertible Inactive
    Pony Convertible
    @PonyConvertible

    When I was in college, what I wanted most was independence from my parents.  Of course if you are taking money from them, that is not possible.  My last year I got so sick of their rules that I cut the cord and quit taking their money.  I finished, but their were days between paychecks from my part time job that I had no more to eat than a few spoons full of peanut butter.  Looking back, their rules were reasonable, and not complying was very painful, but I felt I had to do it.

    With my (3) sons the rule was simple.  I get access to grades, and grades must be passing, or no $$.  Results are mixed.  Only one of the three was open with his grades.  One quit school, but has found good employment.  The one that was open with his grades graduated.  The youngest is independent, working 35 hours per week and going to school at the same time.   I am proud of all three of them.

    • #4
  5. Fricosis Guy Listener
    Fricosis Guy
    @FricosisGuy

    While my parents helped a bit — some housing and board — I found that paying for nearly all of my own undergraduate and graduate tuition concentrated the mind wonderfully.

    I strongly advise against paying for everything or cosigning loans.

    • #5
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