Background
You have taken an internship as an education policy researcher at the office of the US Senator from California, Franklin McDuffy. You cherish the opportunity to work closely with a politician of such integrity and wisdom. McDuffy, an Independent, has earned a reputation for his purity of heart and clarity of vision. He refuses to be pressued by fellow politicians, interests groups, and the momentary fads of popular will. He simply chooses what is right and responsible in light of the available evidence—even if the choices seem unpopular in the short-term.
McDuffy, a long-time believer that college campuses are places of learning and intellectual growth, has grown deeply disturbed after Arum and Roksa’s Academically Adrift. “This is not the how I remembered college,” he wrote in a recent memo.
McDuffy has come away with the overall impression that American higher education is facing a crisis. To avert such a disaster, he is willing to take drastic measures.
But the senator, a rational man, wants to deliberate further before taking any plans to Congress and the public at large. He is aware that might simply be overreacting to yet another study suggesting doom and gloom in America’s future. He wants to avoid looking foolish.
Your Task
The senator asks you to evaluate the implications (both current and future) of Academically Adrift’s findings. He wants you to consider the broad question, “So what?” and to entertain the possibility of crisis and further courses of action to improve higher education.
Your evaluation will take the form of a 1,500 word memo–yes, this is longer than a typical memo but McDuffy is no typical boss. McDuffy will review your memo on a cross-country flight to Boston where he will receive an honorary doctorate degree from Emerson College.
The memo, he emphasizes, must be fair, balanced, and well-researched. There are many public organizations, congressmen and citizens on various sides of these issues, so it is imperative that your work is complete so McDuffy is well prepared to talk with these people about his vision of American higher education.
Fortunately, another intern (who has since been let go for not following directions) has performed some preliminary background research and found the following sources below. You need to review these sources before determining your position as the articles offer varying critical perspectives from trusted publications. You will also need to find at least two more sources.
An important note: McDuffy has already consulted with statistical experts regarding the credibility of the research found in Academically Adrift. These experts have informed him that the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) and other aspects of Arum and Roksa’s research methodology are sound. Thus, McDuffy wants you to assume that AcAd’s research and major findings are credible so you can focus on the implications of that research, and entertain the central questions about crisis and avenues for reform.
Formatting
McDuffy prefers a fairly typical memo format, of which you can get a sense by reviewing resources pages found at OWL@Purdue and Writing@CSU. The senator also prefers the following:
An introductory section that orients McDuffy to the purpose of your memo and summarizing your recommended position
An annotated bibliography (MLA style), because McDuffy wants to know the basic arguments and information offered by each source, how you use them in the memo, whether you find some sources less useful than others, and whether you decided not to use some sources at all
McDuffy–who is not a trained academic researcher in such fields as education, economics, political science, history, etc.–is fairly busy. All writing has to be clear, concise, elegant, and accurate.
Provided Sources
As stated earlier, the senator will like you to find two other outside sources in addition to the ones provided below.
Arum, “Documenting Uncertain Times: Post-graduate Transitions of the Academically Adrift Cohort”
Vedder and Denhart, The Wall Street Journal, “How the College Bubble will Pop”
Weissberg, Society, “Is American Higher Education All That Bad?”Preview the documentView in a new window
Weissmann, The Atlantic, “No, the ‘College bubble’ Isn’t Popping”
Wood, Society, “The Higher Education Bubble”Preview the documentView in a new window
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