In today’s Pope Center Clarion Call, I write about a new book entitled In the Basement of the Ivory Tower. The author, who calls himself “Professor X” teaches English as an adjunct at two lower-tier schools. His students are for the most part, barely literate and weakly motivated, but there they are in English 101, having made it through remedial English. All they’re interested in is getting their college credential and some eventually do. Whether they’ve advanced much in their knowledge and skills in getting it is very doubtful.
This book should be read by all those who claim that higher education is our “best investment” — starting with Obama.