Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
The Diversity Circus Continues Merrily Onward … and Downward
Although we’re considered to be part of America’s rust belt, the state of Ohio can still be justifiably proud of its system of colleges and universities; both public and private. Of course, the top dog is THE Ohio State University with a student enrollment of over 60,000 (both undergraduate and graduate).
However, there are a large number of lesser-known schools with academic programs that rival those in any section of the country. Included are schools such as Otterbein, Case Western Reserve, Wittenberg, and Denison (where one of Ricochet’s most prolific writers matriculated). If you Google “Ohio Colleges and Universities”, you’ll get an idea of what I’m talking about.
One of those universities is Miami of Ohio, located in Oxford, about 40 miles northwest of Cincinnati. Frequently, the university is referred to as the “Cradle of Coaches” since a number of well-known football coaches such as Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, Paul Brown, Weeb Ewbank, and Sid Gillman started out there. (Oh, there was also a guy by the name of Schembechler who coached there, but, in Ohio, we don’t mention him all that much.) However, there’s much more to Miami than football; the university also has a solid academic curriculum; or used to.
Last Saturday, I noticed a headline in the local newspaper, “Miami U. won’t require ACT, SAT scores for fall 2022 admissions”. And, amazingly enough, there was also an opinion piece in the same issue of the newspaper entitled, “Removing college testing barriers will increase student diversity”.
The writer of the opinion piece is the Dean of the Ohio University College of Education. In the piece, readers were advised that “For too long, standardized testing has been overused and misused in ways that either knowingly or inadvertently set up structures akin to institutional and structural inequities. Structural inequities consist of laws, rules or official policies in a society that result in and support a continued unfair advantage to some people – deep patterns of socioeconomic inequalities and disadvantage due to socioeconomic class or (wait for it!) racism“.
And what will be the new criteria for those who wish to enter the hallowed halls of academia? Well, it is to be composed of high school GPA (which, in this age of grade inflation, means very little), application essays (which can be written by someone else), personal statements and letters of recommendation (which can be written by God-knows-who), “talent” (???), and “personal background” (now I’m starting to get a clearer picture).
In other words, the new admissions process will become a subjective mishmash in which some of the less qualified candidates will be granted admission and some of the more qualified will be headed to the Acme School of Truck Driving. Merit and scholarship? Ah, just more dog whistles for White Supremacy.
Now, we’ve all known people who aced their SATs and couldn’t find their butts with both hands in a room full of mirrors. Conversely, we’ve known some folks who didn’t do so well on their tests yet went on to highly successful college and professional careers. However, that does not mean that the tests should be discarded as one of the prime indicators of a would-be student’s chance of success.
So what’s at work here? Is this rejection of testing a tacit admission that our high schools are nothing more than dullard factories?
Perhaps. However, it appears to me that this is something we already know; this concept known as diversity is little more than a giant crock. And, it is time to discard, forever, the useless trope that “our strength lies in our diversity”. It is now time to realize that our true strength will lie in a diverse population that possesses competence.
Published in General
Totally impressive!
There is a move afoot to eliminate the bar exam, also, for the same asserted reasons. But this is the way many liberals think: “Our favored groups can’t meet objective standards? That’s easy. Eliminate the standards.” Never mind improving public education.
On the other hand, your mention of Ohio colleges reminds me of one of my favorite sports trivia questions: Only four colleges have graduated a US President and a Super Bowl winning QB. Name them. (Scroll down below for the answers.)
You just had to mention that school from up north, didn’t you?
Haha. I’m a Michigan Law grad so I guess I couldn’t help myself…although these days it’s not something to brag about.
The partisan Ohio State people have a chant that they do to the tune of “The Old Gray Mare.” It goes like this:
We don’t give a damn about the whole State of Michigan,
Whole state of Michigan,
Whole State of Michigan.
They are “mostly peaceful” chanters, though!
I’ve heard it enough times to be able to finish it:
We don’t give a damn about the whole State of Michigan
’Cause we’re from O-hi-o
(Go Bucks!)
We’re from O-hi-o
(Pittsburgh sucks!)
We don’t give a damn about the whole State of Michigan
’Cause we’re from O-hi-o
Spoken like a true Buckeye fan! I’m kind of glad I never followed college football.
That would be Chuck Schumer… (perfect SAT).
Regarding college, and, really, any exam testing/confirming minimum competence is all about the application process. Once you’re in, you’re in and it’s what/how you do from there on that earns one the prize. Is protesting, wokeness, speaking-out, non-conformity (is that anything anymore?), etc. compulsory? If so, does fours years of that bestow desirable/marketable skills? Sure, but CNN’s full, isn’t it?
what is the difference between the ignorant, vocal woke graduate who’s read pamphlets vs. the low-C Huey who didn’t read anything but managed to skate by? The wokester might be annoying but probably has a better sense of direction than Mr. Rocks for Jocks.
on the other hand, I suspect that there are plenty of students who love school, devour books, focus on studying and accomplish their goals. They’re just not loud enough to get the attention of the media. I would not be surprised, however, if it’s these types who are the real targets.
Seemed fitting for her role there.
We had fun 50 years ago and some of us studied. Now there are more kids attending and probably a lower percentage actually study and learn things. I have no clue what the net long term costs are, but it should create opportunities for some schools. Are there any taking advantage and raising the class of students they attract? The real costs are probably that we have to import people willing to actually work and that is transforming the country more than lousy colleges. Smart people eventually sort it out and learn. If that didn’t happen we’d have no Republican party.
Yes and your taxpayer dollars will be going to support unprepared students who are on a three-semester program…that is, until they fail to make satisfactory academic progress and even the Pell grants are cut off. And that is assuming the profs can hold any sort of line on academics. Which, these days, profs need good student reviews and for the majority of the class to pass so they can continue on next semester. I taught financial and managerial accounting at a community college for 3 years. (I quit and went back to work in the private sector as I learned quickly that the education environment does not want any innovation and that hard work has no reward for the instructors – then you are just illuminating how lazy everyone else is – that is for another post). I was provided a grade distribution of my classes at the end of each semester. My dean was unhappy with the “C” bell curve. My experience was that students are trained in high school that if they just put their butt in the seat, they should pass. Homework, test performance, etc are, in their minds, irrelevant. My most excellent students were homeschooled. (Imagine that?) One of them is now a successful financial advisor and one is a regional manager for a national company. Both are now in thier late 20s/early 30s – married with children, homeowners. Most of the other students were just in school to be “doing something” Open admissions will be a monumental waste of time for most students and a taxpayer boondoggle. But, I’m guessing that is the point.