the following appeared as part of a recommendation made by a faculty member to the president of a large university. never once in our 150-year history as a university have we clarified our objectives. how, then, can we hope to adapt as an institution to the new challenges facing higher education. as a first step in this evolutionary process, therefore, we should send out questionnaires asking faculty members why they teach, asking students what they want from this university, and asking former students what they gained from their own education here. when the replies come in, we can tabulate them and formulate an official statement of our educational mission. this will surely result in improved programs at our university. the following appeared in the editorial section of an educational publication. one study at lee university found that first-semester grades of teenage students who had always attended public, tax-supported schools were slightly lower than the grades of students who had received some home schooling instruction by parents at home, although the grade differences disappeared in the second semester. these results suggest that home schooling is the best way to educate teenage children. therefore, instead of spending more money on public education, the government should provide financial incentives so that home schooling is an option for more parents. after all, children schooled at home receive more attention, since they are taught by the best possible teacher: a parent who has a high stake in educating them well. |