California University of... Phoenix? Say What!?

So here we are once again with the California State University system trying to find some kind of solution to their ever-growing fiscal woes. Rising fees, furloughs, dropping enrollment rates, oh my!

But according to this article, William Tierney, a professor of higher education at the University of Southern California, seems to think he has the answer: sell the CSU system's assets worth $2.3 billion and all 23 campuses to the University of Phoenix, a for-profit university.

This drastic decision is proposed to save the CSU system from utter chaos in the future and to protect their mission of "giving students greater access to quality higher education at an affordable price, keeping them in school and sending them into the labor market with bachelor's degrees."

Now, I don't know about you, but when I think of the University of Phoenix the image of the full-time dead-end job employee with an education as worthless as the piece of paper it's written on comes to mind. You cannot be serious when your target audience watches your commercials during Maury and Judge Judy. Reach for the stars there, guys!

The University of Phoenix's main student body consists of part-time working adults who want to get a better education to achieve better job opportunities. The CSU's, on the other hand, consist of quite the opposite consisting of full-time students ages 18-25. One has to wonder if the University of Phoenix put their hand in the pot, this attitude may change. Will the "college life" mentality be lost? Is the CSU system going to become nothing more than a night school? Would the integrity of the CSU's be lost? This is only just the tip of the iceberg.

Students of these for-profit schools rely heavily on financial aid in order to continue their education. This money usually comes from the federal government or the institution themselves. Where is this money going to come from to support these students? How does that get the CSU's out of the hole?

Another note to make is putting instructors through some kind of instructional Darwinism to "weed out weak teachers and to ensure that those who graduate are prepared to teach." Now, how is pitting professors against each other beneficial to anyone? Explain how that would bring any kind of relief in any shape or form? It doesn't, that's the answer. Professors shouldn't have to prove their worth; they got the job for a reason! Teaching styles tend to be objective anyway; one instructor may be more beneficial to one student than to another. I mean, that's what ratemyprofessor.com is for anyway now, right?

According to Tierney's article, if the University of Phoenix acquires the CSU system, it will be more apt to produce graduates ready for the work force in hopes to combat a 12.2 percent unemployment rate. But who's to say that the CSU system doesn't already do that? Employers are more likely to take someone who's been through the CSU system with a bachelor's degree more seriously for a position than someone who took an 18-month course online.

Jobs may be scarce now, but in time this recession will have a turn-around. If anything, with the bad economy, CSU's should promote their graduate programs to continue students' higher education.

Has anyone gotten a graduate degree from University of Phoenix? Doubt it. Would anyone want to anyway? Doubt it.

So if the University of Phoenix does end up buying out California's higher educational system, just be prepared to see a commercial for CSUS during afternoon television. Hopefully it doesn't interrupt you from watching Maury.