There are about 10,000 history profs teaching freshman general survey US History courses in about 5,000 US colleges. Why?
One to five brilliant, entertaining, thorough professors could teach the course to all students online. Combine a few History Channel documentaries with the profs’ brilliant video lectures, and all America benefits from the best course ever. Add some biography reading assignments and a few SAT-style multiple choice proctored tests, and it’s done.
Provide the course for free and charge the students $20 apiece for each of, say, 5 proctored tests. Think of the tens of millions saved in teachers’ salaries, fringe benefits like health care, pensions, sabbaticals, office support. Since this course, and perhaps other survey courses are presented online, entire buildings and their maintenance and operating costs are eliminated. Janitors, support staff, and miscellaneous administrative support staff are eliminated.
IF we’re going to send all these millions of kids to college, why not eliminate the featherbedding and waste that are breaking the bank?
