Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

This idea could either be very good or very bad. I always thought degrees should have a high bar of entry. They`re like money. The more you give out, the less valuable they are. Decades ago, you could get a very respectable job with a high school diploma alone. Centuries ago, you didn`t even need that. Not long ago, a BA was a respectable achievement. It`s losing value as it becomes more common. MA or PHD is the minimum requirement as BA`s become the new high school diploma. Soon, MA`s will fill that niche. If the momentum continues, we`ll need degrees beyond PHD, or there won`t be any means to rise above the crowd. Granted, the real point of an education is to learn something, but the point of the certification is to move yourself to the shortlist of employable peoples for high tier jobs, saying, "Here`s the proof that I`m better educated than 90% of the nation."

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Making limitless possibilities much more limited.

I don`t see why we can`t take a page from Microsoft and apply it to the field of college degrees. We`d have BA Personal, BA Professional, EBA (Enterprise BA), and even MBA (Mobile Bachelor of Arts).

That way, you could have a whole bunch of different degrees, all of which could be used for different types of résumés and applications. :-)

Another good idea would be to put a time limit on a degree, so that it would "run out" after say, 8 years. Then you`d have to go to college all over again, to get an upgrade in order to stay current with evolving society and technology.

Think we can get "Beta" and "2.0" degrees in there? I think that if the threshold of "wealthy" is lowered to, say, $5,000.00 from $250,000, he can cover the costs.


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M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

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Making limitless possibilities much more limited.

Oh, now see? We`re definitely ready to form an action committee to help the government make some money here! I like the idea of rental, or leased degrees! That`s BRILLIANT!

On top of that, I hadn`t even thought of the benefits of having Beta release degrees! Also BRILLIANT!

We could give people a Beta BA and if they take a job, then can`t do the job, they`d be removed and sent back for reconditioning. Only when the Alpha BA was announced would people be able to commercially purchase a college education.

Additionally, we would be able to charge for Maintenance Insurance to ensure that for X years following your graduation, you would pay only 50% of the upgrade costs for an MA or PhD.

Then think of the industry that would rise up in support of degree maintenance, managing everyone`s college records. We`d have lots of new jobs in the Bureau of Educational Support Technology (BEST), tracking where everyone stands in their pathway to excellence!

By Jove, I think we`re on to something here!

It sounds so crazy that it seems like a joke, but the basis for it is really sound. Life progresses faster than the professional. Not only would it open up new industry with all new jobs therein, but it would raise the level of quality of every degreed professional. I really don`t see a lose in this proposition. The consumer gets a higher level of quality from his provider. There would be a constant flow of money changing hands - good for any economy. The degreed professional would never stagnate - once degreed, he`d be forced to learn for life, so long as he wants to keep his job. That`s hardly a bad deal. Initially, the cost to duration ratio for leased degrees would probably be prohibitive, but this would quickly normalize.

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Making limitless possibilities much more limited.

:-) All kidding aside, there is a difference between a diploma and an accreditation, certification, and licensure.

if you can`t afford college on your own, or find some private source of funding willing to lend you the money, you should not go to college.

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James Lindon, Ph.D. Patent Attorney
Lindon & Lindon, LLC
Cleveland, Ohio
Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Pharmacy Law, Litigation
[this is not legal advice - provided for discussion only]
Intellectual Property for the Individual and Small Business: Identify, Protect, Enforce, Defend.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
http://www.LindonLaw.com

What if you can only afford 1 year of college? Couldn`t you get a Beta BA, v.1.0? Then after year 2, BBA v2.0, and in year 3, a BBA v.3.0. Finally, if you graduate at 4 years, you go Live.