December 10, 2023
I don’t know who anointed certain universities as “elite” but they are elite no more. Presumably, those universities had the highest standards for admissions – test scores and GPAs – had rigorous curricula and courses and placed their graduates in the highest paying most prestigious positions. However, these same universities have come to the fore with their pro-Hamas, anti-Israel and antisemitic demonstrations. Jewish students have been attacked, harassed and threatened. Some have wondered why all of a sudden this has happened. First, I would bet that most of the demonstrators have been in the Arts or most disturbingly, law students. Science students, business students, engineering students and their professors do not seem to be as active participants as those in the humanities. Second, the best and brightest students are no longer the most likely to be admitted to the so-called “elite” schools. White males, Jews and Asians find their admission applications rejected in favor of “disadvantaged” students who have lower test scores and GPAs. Schools have dropped the SAT and the highest GPAs as admission criteria in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion. The admission offices at the elite schools were first instituted to limit Jewish enrollment in the early 1900s. Now they are being used again to limit the number of Jews as their enrollment has fallen dramatically in the age of DEI. Also, DEI has discriminated against Asians as well. Even though the Supreme Court has ruled against discrimination on the basis of race, universities are actively trying to find ways to circumvent the ruling. Third, the “elite” universities have also dumbed down their curricula. No one, however biased, would argue that courses are as rigorous as they were in the past. Curricula are now littered with feel good majors and courses such as gender, black, Latino, trans, green and environmental studies while the Classics, language, mathematics, science, economics, accounting and more rigorous courses are no longer required. Fourth, the faculty in the feel good subjects would have difficulty acquiring tenure and promotion in traditional departments. Thus, the universities have created separate departments for the feel good subjects. Fifth, even those courses that were formerly difficult have themselves become less rigorous. There are fewer term papers, fewer reading lists and less demanding tests (if tests are even given). Sixth, the students who are admitted are told that they are victims and if they are not victims they are oppressors. This certainly does not make for a warm, inviting and cordial college atmosphere.
All this means that the “elite” universities are no longer distinguished by either their students or their professors. Perhaps science, business and engineering may have higher standards and more rigorous courses. But the arts and humanities and even the law are no longer elite. Most of these graduates will find employment in the arts and humanities an continue poisoning the minds of our youth. They are not likely to enter MBA or graduate programs in business or science. More importantly they will be teachers and continue their spreading ignorance regarding capitalism and the financial system (the Denver and Colorado teachers are the poster children for dumbness). They will be the ones seeking to justify DEI, the incredibly harmful green new deal and socialism. The demise of the “elite” universities is just the latest manifestation of the mediocrity that has permeated our society.
I would rather hire graduates of our land grant universities.
haroldblackphd.com 