Revamping Higher Ed

Here's my brilliant insight after grading papers all weekend, talking to my sister about SkyGirl's college plans, and reading Blackboard posts for the last two hours.

Undergraduate work should be available for free at state institutions, and perhaps heavily subsidized at private ones. (don't ask me how to pay for this, but stopping unnecessary wars might be a healthy start).

Any one can enroll at any age providing they achieve certain levels of proficiency in some standardized tests and/or provide a portfolio of academic work that achieves a high level of excellence (and yes this is also a vague category that would need to be hashed out in numerous committee meetings, I'm sure).

If you don't achieve this entrance standard, you can enroll when you reach the age of 22. By then, quite a lot of people have achieved a level of maturity that makes college meaningful and productive. Plus, after four years working, more people might realize that college isn't necessary for a good, productive life.

I'm really tired of unmotivated 18 year olds cluttering up my classroom.