I recently completed teaching a course and one of my colleagues was checking the answers to essay questions and problems with some modern software program, available on line, which would alert the Professor to the likelihood that the student was cheating by obtaining answers on line or from other students in the class.  In one sense, I was astounded that there is a program available by subscription that Universities can purchase that would do this checking, and yet, was not terribly surprised given the pressure facing a majority of students in today’s Universities.

When I first began college, the cost of attending a State University was negligible and the tuition and books were easily covered by my working a part time job.  Granted that was a long time ago when everything was cheaper, but even taking into account the inflationary pressures in society over the intervening decades, it was still inexpensive.  Today, it is not uncommon for students to spend between $20,000 to $40,000 on tuition and books for one year.  My tuition and book costs were in the hundreds, not thousands, and the cost of my tuition was not equal to the down payment on a median priced home.  Today it is not uncommon for students to graduate Universities owing between $50,000 to $100,000 in student loans.

Read the rest of this entry »

Having recently returned from another, and my latest, trip to China, I am left to ponder the new realities facing our President and the entire nation.  Unlike recent trips where I was struck by the pace and energy of the changes taking place in China, what struck me this time were (a) the photograph of our President bowing before the Japanese Emperor and (b) the reports, in both China and the United States, regarding our President’s visit to China as part of his Asian tour.  Then, upon my return to the United States, there was the much ballyhooed first State dinner that the President held in honor of the President of India.  Lastly, there was the President’s speech, delivered at West Point, where he set forth his new policy in Afghanistan.

Taken together, as they must, I am led to the conclusion that there is a new reality that is facing our leaders and our nation, and one that we are ill prepared to accept.  President Obama’s bowing before the Japanese Emperor was both a faux pas as well as being illustrative of how ill prepared we are to face this change.  When our President bowed before the Emperor of Japan, it was an attempt on his part, and as he was probably advised by his staff, to show a sense of respect to Japan and the Japanese people.  The reality is that such a bow was not necessary, even ill advised, but clearly and demonstrably illustrated how ill prepared we are to deal with understanding Asia.  While ill prepared, we are nevertheless compelled to accept the new reality that Asia, not Europe, needs to be the central focus our foreign policy efforts and concerns.  In that one gesture, at the inception of his first trip to Asia, the President was acknowledging this new reality, and at the same time, showing how ill prepared we are as a people to understand Asian culture.  A full bow was not necessary, as for his American audience, the President appeared more of a supplicant, than the firm leader of the United States.  There should have been more of a nuanced approach, but nuances take time to learn.  Therefore, the President should not be overly faulted for his attempt

Read the rest of this entry »