tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5859094080858570248.post4984902231879145647..comments2024-03-29T13:05:30.522+05:30Comments on Rapid Uplift: Cutting Academic Programs In U.S. UniversitiesSuvrat Kherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281172632784780810noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5859094080858570248.post-62174669972346214942010-05-16T08:18:42.781+05:302010-05-16T08:18:42.781+05:30Vikram-
thanks for that perspective. U.S does pro...Vikram-<br /><br />thanks for that perspective. U.S does produce a lot of Ph.d's , it will be interesting to get a breakup of how much of a typical budget is being diverted to support research vs undergrad edu. Its probably a lot and <a href="http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/jmeert/money.pdf" rel="nofollow">this article</a> gives a broader view of the problems of higher ed in U.S. <br /><br />regarding your comment on India, I would think that a bifurcation already exists in India between the "research institutes" and universities which to a large degree are teaching shops. So we seem to have gone to the other extreme! I have heard a lot of education experts say that this isolation of top researchers from students has hurt Indian higher ed! <br /><br />I see your point regarding technical training institutes. That's the role "govt. polytechniques" are supposed to play.giving very practical 1 or 2 year training courses to students. in terms of seeking employment, that's perhaps better than getting a B.Sc in physics. I don't know how successful that program has been. these days private institutes esp. in fields like in IT, hospitality are increasingly filling that role but they don't come cheap.Suvrat Kherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18281172632784780810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5859094080858570248.post-81813444602798358232010-05-14T21:05:02.797+05:302010-05-14T21:05:02.797+05:30Perhaps I am wrong but I think what we are seeing ...Perhaps I am wrong but I think what we are seeing in the US is in some sense, the fallout of a higher education setup overly targeted towards research. Dont get me wrong, I myself am doing a PhD here, but I just get the feeling that there are too many universities here trying to be world class research universities.<br /><br />There is no problem in this per se, the problem is that universities expect undergraduates to foot the bill, most of whom dont really benefit from their professors being leading publishers. This is especially true in more applied fields like engineering. You dont need an ISI highly cited researcher to teach first year numerical methods or second year fluid mechanics.<br /><br />At my university, where I also did my undergrad studies, undergraduate tuition has just become absurd. Just yesterday, the board announced general budget cuts, higher tuition, while raising salaries of some faculty by as much as 10 % !<br /><br />I think we Indians need to think hard about our higher education system. Perhaps a bifurcation of public research institutes and technical training institutions would keep costs under control. The researchers can work in the instis and teach classes occassionally, and talented students can intern with them. The bulk of the students need a good education and training, not a world class researcher who is simply uninterested in teaching them.<br /><br />Sorry abt the long comment.Vikramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15184698535624088994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5859094080858570248.post-83643104472989351322010-04-09T08:37:41.087+05:302010-04-09T08:37:41.087+05:30when a faculty vacancy arises the university often...<i>when a faculty vacancy arises the university often insists that it be filled by a climate modelling expert - even if this means, for example, that the department will lose mineralogy or stratigraphy skills.</i><br /><br />I think that is a very good point. its getting harder to convince administrators that there is real value in teaching basic geology courses. Climate change for example has to be combated not just my "modelling" but by working with landscapes, soils and rocks and groundwater contained within.Suvrat Kherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18281172632784780810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5859094080858570248.post-63368292871716645542010-04-08T22:38:04.459+05:302010-04-08T22:38:04.459+05:30Geology (or "earth science")is included ...Geology (or "earth science")is included in the science curriculum in the UK, but is rarely taught as a subject in its own right. The problem is that, unlike the way I think it works in the US, it's taught by teachers who have no background in geology and themselves find it difficult. There's a great program (that I was involved in the early days of) that aims to address this at least at earlier grades than highschool - see http://earthlearningidea.blogspot.com/<br /><br />Many geology programs at university and school level are struggling and I agree - it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. And there's another problem - I have heard from several academic friends that when a faculty vacancy arises the university often insists that it be filled by a climate modelling expert - even if this means, for example, that the department will lose mineralogy or stratigraphy skills. I know it's perhaps politically incorrect to say, but how many climate modellers do we need (simply because it's sexy and attracts funding) when it's at the expense of the basic science?Michaelhttp://www.throughthesandglass.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5859094080858570248.post-34043740712571233472010-04-08T10:42:12.656+05:302010-04-08T10:42:12.656+05:30Michael..is geology taught at the high school leve...Michael..is geology taught at the high school level in U.K.? it really amazing and disheartening to see education funding patterns go counter to the need to have more earth science trained scientists to meet the many challenges.Suvrat Kherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18281172632784780810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5859094080858570248.post-78171845002757328422010-04-08T06:49:14.708+05:302010-04-08T06:49:14.708+05:30And we haven't even begun to talk about the ab...And we haven't even begun to talk about the absurdities going on in California. Nor is this purely a US problem - geology programs are being shut down in the UK also.Michaelhttp://www.throughthesandglass.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5859094080858570248.post-74452102687042789242010-04-07T10:35:56.319+05:302010-04-07T10:35:56.319+05:30i finished in 1996, did my Ph.D under Bill Parker....i finished in 1996, did my Ph.D under Bill Parker.<br /><br />Arnold was on my committee too...sad to hear this.Suvrat Kherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18281172632784780810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5859094080858570248.post-2795252965084819852010-04-07T08:56:09.545+05:302010-04-07T08:56:09.545+05:30When did you finish at FSU? I'm finishing th...When did you finish at FSU? I'm finishing the B.S. here, with about 13-14 others who'll be the last grads of the program. I think Arnold is leaving, Parker will be gone after this semester, and they're the two I like the best.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com