But is it for honorable reasons, or just to maintain having bodies in school?
According to the Los Angeles Times, every year 25,000 incoming freshman to the California university system take a remedial math or English class. These courses are required after a placement exam suggested the student wasn't prepared enough in high school and isn't ready for a college-level workload. As one might imagine, this means 25,000 students aren't thrilled.
In a turn of events, Cal State's chancellor, Timothy P. White, issued an executive order to the 23 campus presidents that from now on incoming students should be judged on high school grades, SAT and ACT scores, and "previous classroom performance." After all, vague "performance" clauses are always a highlight of any directive.
The motivation--says White, campus presidents, and various officials--is that currently only 19% of students graduate from one of their colleges within four years. Likewise, many students required to take a remedial class (which costs tuition and fees, even if it doesn't count) tend to drop out of school altogether, as they feel alienated from the rest of the college environment. If that sounds dire all-around, it is.
Officials say one motivation behind eliminating placement exams is they want to lessen the financial burden on students for taking a remedial class. Sounds noble! Strangely, though, these same officials ignore the financial tsunami these students take on if they finish a degree. It doesn't take an economist to suggest four years of tuition costs more than one remedial class. Sounds not-so-noble!
Colleges and universities are the non-profit equivalents of Fortune 500 companies wearing humble rags for clothing. If the vast majority of 25,000 students drop out of school because of alienation and annoyance, that's a loss of revenue. But making the road a little easier so the students remain for four years? A consistent revenue stream is born.
Honorable or not, someone loses regardless.
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