Links for 3/3/10

Doug Lederman

The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities put forward its University and College Accountability Network (known as U-CAN) and the country's two major groups of public institutions unveiled their Voluntary System of Accountability, on a site they called College Portraits…

"[A] close examination of these two prominent efforts reveals serious flaws that undermine their utility as engines of accountability," Chad Aldeman of Education Sector and Andrew Kelly of AEI write in "False Fronts? Behind Higher Education’s Voluntary Accountability Systems." "For these efforts and others like them to improve consumer choice and exert meaningful pressure on schools to improve, they need to be more complete, comparison-friendly, and designed to highlight institutional differences.

"If existing flaws are not resolved, the nation runs the risk of ending up in the worst of all worlds: the appearance of higher education accountability without the reality…

Paul Basken

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, at the request of Democrats, made another review of the latest alternative the industry proposed to President Obama's plan to end the bank-based loan program. And the budget office concluded the industry plan would save taxpayers about $8.5-billion less than would the Obama administration's plan…

"In a way, it is irrelevant whether the $87-billion or $78-billion figures have any connection to reality," Mr. Kantrowitz said, "as these figures are the excuses needed to justify spending more money on student aid without having to raise taxes or cut other programs."…

Anthony Paletta

The [American Anthropological Association] for one, in its resolution condemning the participation of anthropologists in military operations in Afghanistan, first declares aid to the government a "problematic application of anthropological expertise" but then asserts that anthropology is "obliged to help improve U.S. government policies" and that anthropology "can legitimately and effectively help guide U.S. policy to serve the humane causes of global peace and social justice."…

EducationNews.org

A professor who quit in protest at the 'dumbing down' of degrees has won a long-running legal fight…

If you don't make a stand somewhere, you might as well start selling the degrees on eBay because that's all they'll be worth.'…