Evaluating The College Experience

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - With rising costs and the purpose of a college education being questioned, a new survey by the Pew Research Center in conjunction with The Chronicle of Higher Education revealed that college presidents are concerned about faculty grading, how much time students spend studying and the quality of teaching. One president argues that the survey should have included how well students are prepared to enter the workforce.

Twenty-seven percent of presidents believed their faculty graded too leniently. One third of presidents of private four-year colleges, while only 24% of public colleges saw grade inflation as a problem. Fifty-two percent of presidents think their students study less than those a decade ago.

As to quality of teaching, perhaps student opinion is the best indicator. Ask students for the names of their best teachers and they respond quickly and ask ten more for their favorites and the same names are on most lists. Those are the ones who inspire their students to become teachers themselves.

Reported By Dr. Marciene Mattleman, KYW Newsradio