every class a college student takes will be put into a data base

[donsu]

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/op_ed/hc-khwill0731.artjul31,0,984479.story?coll=hc-headlines-oped


Why Should Feds Track College Students?


Does the federal government need to know whether you aced Aristotelian ethics but had to repeat introductory biology? Does it need to know your family's financial profile, how much aid you received and whether you took off a semester to help out at home?

The Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education thinks so. In its first draft report, released in late June, the commission called for creation of a tracking system to collect sensitive information about our nation's college students. Its second draft, made public last week, softens the name of the plan, but the essence of the proposal remains unchanged.

Whether you call it a "national unit records database" (the first name) or a "consumer-friendly information database" (the second), it is in fact a mandatory federal registry of all American students throughout their collegiate careers - every course, every step, every misstep. Once established, it could easily be linked to existing K-12 and workforce databases to create unprecedented cradle-to-grave tracking of American citizens. All under the watchful eye of the federal government.

The commission calls our nation's colleges and universities unaccountable, inefficient and inaccessible. In response it seeks to institute collection of personal information designed to quantify our students' performance in college and in the workforce.
-snip-
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puking

[Lars39]

1. What comes to mind is a 'Skills Draft'.

[Bozita]

9. I think that's it!

[Sydnie]

11. Exactly

My son just signed up for a Computer Programming degree. He got a Pell Grant and, because of his grades on our state tests, he was awarded free tuition at any state school. Yep, I am SURE they will be tracking his ass.

[Lars39]

12. My prediction...

somewhere down the road they will start requiring higher grades to continue.
Bushco thinks they can avoid an all-out draft by instead having a Skills Draft and an Economic Draft.

I think they'll go to great lengths to avoid a real across-the-board draft, unless they feel they can talk the public around to one with a MIHOP event.
I didn't use to be this cynical.:(

Congrats to your son.:)

[nickinSTL]

2. great more f'ing fascist bs

Good luck getting anything from me...after I get my current masters, I'll likely eventually get an advanced degree in something subversive like...archaeology or linguistics

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. I wonder if they really mean everyone?

I read an article somewhere today that there are conservative "camps" which GOP college students go to continue their indoctrination of conservatism. A Bible and a book titled, "Prudence," I believe, is what they use to study.

Now THERE's a danger.

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. I'd bet private institutions will be exempt

You know...the one's that have $60 grand a year tuition and legacy enrollments.

State institutions will be a whole 'nother story. No data, no funding.

[northzax]

5. thank god I've already taken the good classes:

Sociology 456: how to oppress Christians at every turn;
Government 436: How to control government with a minority party
Communications 476: how to use the liberal media to oppress and deny rights to good god fearin' americans.

[The2ndWheel]

6. It's the 21st century information age

They don't call it that just because it sounds cool.

[donsu]

7. if possible students will go to college in other countries that are sane

nt

[pagerbear]

8. I'm sorta surprised it's not already happening.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

10. Remember when yourteacher said "this is going on your 'permanent record'"?

[pitohui]

13. there's a record kept of this anyway

that is why prospective employers insist you sign some form so they can see your transcript

even in the way back when i was interviewing for an oil company i was closely questioned about why i took so many fine arts courses (yes, i was hired anyway but i suspect they wondered if it indicated drug use or something else "arty")

if you think having a class on your permanent record is going to piss someone off, it's more likely to piss off a potential employer than the feds, isn't it?

[sarcasmo]

14. Kick and Nom, skills draft, and let's not forget the tracking chip our

Government will force on us one day in the future. All of your information will be on your chip, SSN, record, credit, address. We are living 1984 it has arrived.

[WinkyDink]

15. This is news? My classes were tracked by my SS# back in 1967!