Horrors! Republican Governor wants to tie state college funding to post-grad employment
Considering the rising unemployment rate for college graduates, this sounds like a very logical and reasonable idea.
Kevin Kiley of Inside Higher Ed displays a bit of snark in the opening of his report.
Another Liberal Arts Critic
North Carolinians might have seen this coming when they elected Patrick McCrory governor in November. He’s a Republican and the second half of his name is “Rick,” and these days — with Rick Scott in Florida and Rick Perry in Texas — that tends to mean criticism of the liberal arts and flagship universities.
On a national radio program Tuesday morning, McCrory, who goes by Pat, said he would push legislation to base funding for the state’s public colleges and universities on post-graduate employment rather than enrollment.
“I’m looking at legislation right now – in fact, I just instructed my staff yesterday to go ahead and develop legislation – which would change the basic formula in how education money is given out to our universities and our community colleges,” McCrory told radio host Bill Bennett, who was education secretary under President Reagan. “It’s not based on butts in seats but on how many of those butts can get jobs.”
The Republican governor also called into question the value of publicly supporting liberal arts majors after the host made a joke about gender studies courses at UNC-Chapel Hill. “If you want to take gender studies that’s fine, go to a private school and take it,” McCrory told the radio host. “But I don’t want to subsidize that if that’s not going to get someone a job.”
North Carolina governor joins chorus of Republicans critical of liberal arts (Inside Higher Ed | News)
Comments
“What?”
[Hyperventilating, deep gasping breaths being taken, hands extended to wall to maintain balance]
“You’re gonna hold us – I can’t believe this – accountable!”
“You’re willing to throw away, THROW AWAY, the diversity provided by Queer Studies, Gay Studies, Queer Gay Studies, Black Studies, African Studies, African-American Studies, Black-African-American Studies, Womyns Studies, Chicano Studies, Hispanic Studies, Chicano-Hispanic Studies!!!”
“You’re gonna throw all that talent away just because the esteemed scholars in those esteemed studies can’t get jobs?”
“You can’t be serious! These are attacks on us. You hate us.”