The Choice Channel

“Gathering and analyzing information, advancing unfettered inquiry, expanding knowledge — these are surely hallmarks of American higher education. So, when the academy itself is the subject of rigorous study, shouldn’t we expect the leaders of our colleges and universities to support such inquiry on the same principles? Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case with a proposed federal database on college student performance. ‘Orwellian,’ some of my colleagues have called the proposed system. ‘Egregious,’ others have termed it, a violation of student privacy, a step toward government control of private education, a costly burden on our institutions. Objections have been particularly numerous and passionate from private institutions, which are typically subject to less government scrutiny than public universities.” (08/30/06)