A College Education Isn't Simply a Commodity
August 22, 2005
The Wall Street Journal
One of the strategies identified in “How to Cut College Costs” (The Journal Report, Aug. 5) recommends a “blended” approach to higher educations: two years at a low-cost community college followed by matriculation from a “pricier four-year college.” That may make sense for students who approach their college education as consumers interested in gaining certain skills and mastering certain concepts at the lowest possible cost. But there are also students who approach education as investors interested in maximizing the quality of their learning experience.
One of the strengths of American higher education is its diversity. We have different institutions, with different philosophies and missions, appealing to different segments of the student population. While no student wants to pay more than is needed for their education, many are willing to pay as much s is required for the kind of education they value: one that prepares them to continue to learn throughout their lives as technologies change, job descriptions are altered and personal interests evolve. For students who are investors, a “pricier” education may be priceless.
Dr. Cid Seidelman
Provost
Westminster College
Salt Lake City
