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Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden
I think it certainly does relate to how much you put in = how much you get out. I have worked as a sessional instructor and can confirm that there is pressure to 'help students pass' but this is always within reason. There is a green light to flunk students who don't do the work. it is more that the expectation is that you give them an opportunity to make up for "mistakes".
The problem I would say is both institutional and caused the maturity of the students. Students who go straight from High School have less respect for what they are doing, don't take the classes or process seriously. Those who worked full time for a year understand that they are training for a better life, and respect that the process of putting work into Uni is developing professional skills.
Nevertheless, universities operate as businesses, and more and more students are customers, and so the adage "the customer is always right" comes into play. If you're a hard ass you get lambasted on the student feed back forms and on rate my proff. The trick is to try develop skills while giving people their "participation awards" and in which sense it is likely more true than ever that the grade is not a fair representation of what the student learned.
Still, I would maintain that this does not devalue a university degree. Education is a right. and people are better off for having a gone to university even if it is not as prestigious as it once was. If you really wanted to combat the business model of universities you would make university education free, or funding not based on attendance so that professors can flunk bad students at higher rates and not have to worry about their livelyhood.
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Wonderfully stated.
I chucked at "Rate My Professor", the bane of instructors everywhere.