At commencement time, we celebrate the new "capitalist" spirit in higher education

DOONESBURY     by G. B. Trudeau

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"We're capitalists, and we have to look at what the demand is, and we have to respond to the demand."

-- Steven B. Long, vice chair of the academic planning committee
of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors

by Ken

You may think that Oh!-That-Garry Trudeau is just being snippy again today, but it's hard not to look at this strip without thinking of a Daily Kos post earlier this week by LamontCranston, "46 Degree Programs Eliminated Across UNC College System," from which I gleaned the above-highlighted quote from UNC Board of Governors member Steven Long, announcing that programs offered by the UNC state higher-education system, which LC describes as "the example and envy of most of the state systems in this country," will now be put to the test of market forces. The post itself begins: "I guess the North Carolina Board of Governors educational planning committee for the University educational system didn't think these programs were important to our education of our young adults, or warranted due to 'market forces'," and explains that the committee has "voted to discontinue 46 degree programs across the UNC-System, including one at UNC-Chapel Hill: human biology," prompting this comment from LC:

"Human Biology"????

W.T.F.?

Well, you know, LC, they have to look at what the demand is, and respond to the demand. And the response so far is the elimination of these 46 programs from the various campuses of the UNC system:

Appalachian State University: Family and Consumer Sciences, Secondary Education; Technology Education; Mathematics, Education
Elizabeth City State University: Special Education, General Curriculum; Middle Grades Education; English, Secondary Education; Political Science

East Carolina University: French K-12; German K-12; Hispanic Studies Education; German; French; Public History; Special Education, Intellectual Disabilities; Vocational Education

Fayetteville State University: Art Education; Music Education; Biotechnology

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University: Comprehensive Science Education; Physical Education

North Carolina Central University: Theatre; Jazz

North Carolina State University: Africana Studies; Women’s and Gender Studies; Business and Marketing Education; Physiology

UNC-Charlotte: Child and Family Development; Special Education, Adapted Curriculum; English Education; Mathematics Education

UNC-Chapel Hill: Human Biology

UNC-Greensboro: Mathematics, Secondary Education (BA); Mathematics, Secondary Education (BS); Economics, Secondary Education; Biology, Secondary Education (BA); Biology, Secondary Education (BS); Composition; Latin Education; Biochemistry

UNC School of the Arts: Film Music Composition

UNC-Wilmington: Physical Education and Health; Music Performance

Western Carolina University: Health Information Administration

Winston-Salem State University: Biotechnology; Elementary Education; Teaching English as a Second Language and Linguistics

"Yes sir," says LC, "this is your state government on A.L.E.C./Koch brothers/Art Pope control."

This is what the "Free Market" world looks like, and it isn't just limited to how many different types of toothpaste, or canned beans you have available at your local grocery store.

Read it and weep as this could be the future of your state's educational system at a university branch near you.

Pathetic. Read all about it.....

http://www.dailytarheel.com/...

THE DAILY TARHEEL REPORT INCLUDES THIS PIE CHART

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Great! Not only are the individual institutions within the UNC system to be subject to "what the demand is," but they get to fight amongst themselves for the scraps!

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