Did you know that you can get an actual degree in Bowling Industry Management? How about Enigmatology? Ever thought about taking a class about popular TV shows? If so, you are in luck. These degrees actually exist! Also, according to a 2009 onlineuniversities.com blog, your TV interests could be addressed in classes like those offered at UC Berkley titled Arguing with Judge Judy: Popular Logic on TV Judge Shows (Onlineuniversities.com, 2009). Perhaps you would be more interested in learning to speak Elvish (fictitious language from the film Lord of the Rings) at the University of Wisconsin. Take your pick. Is there anything wrong with taking a class like this? Of course there is not. They actually sound like a lot of fun. However, they do cost the institution money to provide these classes, and this could be one reason that costs in higher education go up.
The classes listed above are extreme examples of curriculum and faculty specialization, but they are examples nonetheless. Suh (1997) explains that this type of curriculum specialization could explain some of the “runaway” costs of higher education (p. 83). It seems that the offered curricula at most institutions continues to expand as more specialized areas of study are developed through faculty research and, apparently, even popular culture. This is not really a problem if there are sufficient funds for the courses as well as sufficient student interest in the subject. However, in times of economic struggle, sufficient funding for the core curriculum is hard to come by much less adequate funding for underwater basket weaving! An overabundance of courses, or “curricular glut” as some have called it, can drastically affect faculty workloads by requiring that they leave their research behind in an effort to meet the demands of an ever-growing curriculum (Bugeja, 2010). It could even lead to the need to hire more faculty members which, as we all know, would further add to the rising costs of colleges and universities. Massey and Zemsky (1994) address this issue in their discussion of curriculum deconstruction stating “the deconstructing of the curriculum has had important economic consequences in terms of course proliferation and the need to hire a larger faculty (p. 2). How can the increasing costs that are due to overspecialization of faculty and curriculum be stopped?
Bugeja (2010) makes several suggestions on how to cut the costs of the specialized curriculum. His straight forward suggestions will more than likely not surprise you. Among the suggestions are:
· Simplify Degree Requirements
· Focus on Degree Progress
· End curricular Silos
· Identify and Delete Outdated Courses
Though taking Bugeja’s advice will not completely solve the problem of rising costs in higher education, it will serve to make faculty more productive by reducing course loads and the need for additional faculty members. So, if you are interested in getting a degree in Bowling Industry Management (a real thing), do it now before the program is eliminated!
References
Bugeja, M. (2010). The elephant in the room: Curricular glut. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/The-Elephant-in-the-Room-/64835/
Onlineuniversities.com. (2009, October 21). 100 Hilarious college courses that really exist [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2009/10/100-hilarious-college-courses-that-really-exist/
Massey, W.F., & Zemsky, R. (1994). Faculty discretionary time: Departments and the “academic ratchet.” The Journal of Higher Education, 65(1), 1-22. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2943874?seq=2
Suh, T.T. (1997). The consequences of an overspecialized curriculum. Academic Questions 10(2), 83-86. doi: 10.1007/s12129-997-1071-7. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com/content/v7562777lt38v204/
I found this so interesting, especially after reading the Chronicle this morning and Texas is taking a hard look at programs that are not producing. I wonder if the future of higher education will balance on trimming up what courses are being offered and where.
ReplyDeletehttp://chronicle.com/article/Texas-Board-Requires-the/129562/
K. Schaefer-Mumiukha
I'm wondering if adding of these courses, or even the programs, was to increase enrollment at those institutions? Playing to a students interest would add to the number of enrollment in the classes and programs. But as you stated, to have a successful class or program, you have to have the numbers in the class. It makes me think back to the days in which my old high school instructor used to tell us to enroll in anything, even the underwater basket weaving course, if there was actually a course in that.
ReplyDelete