Group blasts new LSU admissions policy, calls 'holistic' process 'lowering standards'

[Coach Bill Lewis]

“We could do better if we have a president with some vision. I don’t care if the other institutions around the nation has adopted,” Lipsey said. “We need to recruit those kids and make LSU competitive with Florida, Georgia and Texas.”

All three of those flagship universities had adopted “holistic admissions.” But Lipsey pointed that those more populous states have far more students and more options.

LSU’s actions will end up cherry-picking students who otherwise would gone to one of the statewide schools, like the University of Louisiana in Lafayette or the University of New Orleans, or one of the regional four-year institutions, like Nicholls State or McNeese State, Lipsey added.

After nearly 30 years of rejecting out-of-hand applicants whose ACT failed to meet the minimum, LSU is embracing a “holistic admissions.” Greater weight will be put on personal recommendations, student-written essays, and outside activities, as well as continued emphasis on grade point averages, thereby opening LSU’s doors to students who test poorly but otherwise have good credentials.

read more: 

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/article_1b805e18-b06c-11e8-8e21-8fec99aa852c.html

 

[UNTLifer]

Thanks for posting.  I was worried about LSU's policy on admissions.

[GTWT]

On ‎9‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 11:43 AM, UNTLifer said:

Thanks for posting.  I was worried about LSU's policy on admissions.

Sarcasm aside, this is an important issue.  We're seeing the dumbing down of American Higher Education - Reduced admission standards, grade inflation, giving college credit for 'life experiences', questionable online coursework.  The university isn't what it used to be and that's unfortunate.

[UNTLifer]

I agree, but my comment was really regarding a post about LSU on a North Texas website.

[GTWT]

6 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

I agree, but my comment was really regarding a post about LSU on a North Texas website.

I understand.  But, it's happening at UNT too.

[MeanGreenTexan]

12 hours ago, GTWT said:

Sarcasm aside, this is an important issue.  We're seeing the dumbing down of American Higher Education - Reduced admission standards, grade inflation, giving college credit for 'life experiences', questionable online coursework.  The university isn't what it used to be and that's unfortunate.

Aren't LSU and other Louisiana schools on life support right now financially?
Perhaps they're sacrificing academics for dollars to get people on campus (or online) to fund their University.

[GTWT]

1 hour ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Perhaps they're sacrificing academics for dollars to get people on campus (or online) to fund their University.

The reason for being of a university is academics.

[UNTLifer]

1 hour ago, GTWT said:

The reason for being of a university is academics.

That is understood, but was not the question.  Louisiana schools have been in a financial mess for years.  Is this perceived as an attempt to drive revenue?

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

This will come as shocking, I know, but I don't think expanding/diversifying your enrollment is the same as "dumbing down."

"Public" institutions are there to help the public. It is non-controversial to suggest that diversity HELPS education on a whole. Empathy, shared idea, collaboration, etc. 

Now - HOW - they implement getting different students into the system to help make that system better is a different topic. 

Some incredibly bright potential is tied up in financial/family chaos in less affluent school districts. 

[GTWT]

9 minutes ago, SteaminWillieBeamin said:

This will come as shocking, I know, but I don't think expanding/diversifying your enrollment is the same as "dumbing down."

"Public" institutions are there to help the public. It is non-controversial to suggest that diversity HELPS education on a whole. Empathy, shared idea, collaboration, etc. 

Now - HOW - they implement getting different students into the system to help make that system better is a different topic. 

Some incredibly bright potential is tied up in financial/family chaos in less affluent school districts. 

Enrollment diversity is not 'dumbing down'.  Grade inflation et al. is.  We should be attracting as many bright, well-motivated, well-prepared students as possible.  Never mind their skin color.  Never mind their 1st language.  Never mind their ethnicity.  

And you're right, 'how' you attempt to accomplish this is a very different topic.

[Pavlovs Eagle]

On 9/9/2018 at 8:05 PM, GTWT said:

questionable online coursework. 

I am a Phoenix!

 

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

That's Liberty too. They are a diploma mill to capture as much federal funds as possible.. 

[LongJim]

On 9/25/2018 at 2:11 PM, SteaminWillieBeamin said:

That's Liberty too. They are a diploma mill to capture as much federal funds as possible.. 

Have no love for Liberty, but they are not a diploma mill.  SACS accredited.  Same as UNT.

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

Riiiiight. There are middle schools and elementary schools accredited by SACS. 

When you are claiming 50k online students - that are mostly from the military - and they position the tuition based upon the max Federal financing (not the actual cost of education) - you ARE a mill. 

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

https://religionnews.com/2018/04/27/liberty-university-is-no-longer-the-largest-christian-university/

 

When you positioning your enrollment online at 110k (!!) and competing with the likes of the Grand Canyon University for students -- I would say that you are in the 'mill' category.

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/magazine/how-liberty-university-built-a-billion-dollar-empire-online.html

For the 'too long, didn't read' summary:

Liberty was going bankrupt. Daddy Falwell did not want to do online degrees. Daddy Falwell dies - Son Falwell goes all in for online degrees and followed the degree mill route.

1) Has student recruiters that accepts *any* person with grades over a D-

2) Completely acknowledges that online enrollment is supporting the IRL campus

3) Online courses are a joke - leaving students to fend for themselves. When asking for help from instructors - they get advice like "include prayer before quizzes. eat snacks before tests."

4) They hide the price of their courses by obfuscating the 'per credit' cost to make it seem like they are the inexpensive option.

5) Their instructors are jokes -- whom can barely spell.

6) When the Obama Admin went after for-profit colleges (that eventually shut down Devry and ITT, etc), since Liberty was a "non-profit", they were immune for those crackdowns -- even though they were just as guilty. In fact, it has leveraged them in a more positive light, since they can claim some legitimacy since the Administration didn't crack down on them. This has boomed their enrollment. Their IRL instructors and students HATE the online degree mill side - but realize it is paying for all their campus growth. 

Edited October 2, 2018 by SteaminWillieBeamin
TLDR