Links for 12/01/09

Marion Lloyd

"You pretend to teach, and I pretend to learn."…

"In Latin America, the majority of professors are focused on their research and professional work, but they rarely see teaching as an intellectual challenge," says Mr. Malo. "They see it as a chore." [AG: I think this applies to many US professors too]

Jamshed Bharucha

higher education in the U.S. has become too expensive, and the price trajectory is simply not sustainable. Everyone knows this, but there are built-in forces that keep driving up the prices…

JUSTIN POPE

Last year, Washington paid out a record $18.3 billion in Pell Grants, which typically go to families earning under $40,000. Proprietary colleges collected about $4.3 billion of that…

Government dollars accounted for 86 percent of Phoenix's revenue last year, compared with less than half as recently as 2001…

Ben Miller

For years, athletic departments have gotten away with lavish compensation packages for the hot coach du jour and, apart from the occasional academic scandal, have been subjected to minimal pressure about their decision making. But rather than bailing them out, universities should let them live with their mistakes. At a time of furloughs, budget cuts, rising tuition, and reduced personnel, it is downright irresponsible to redirect additional university resources just so the football team can have a better shot at playing in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

JONATHAN D. GLATER

Mind how you handle your student loans aspiring lawyers, or you could find your debt hurting more than your bank accounts. Loans could derail your career before it can start.

That is the message in a decision by a panel of five New York judges denying one would-be lawyer, Robert Bowman, admission to the bar because his debt approached half a million dollars.