Benefits of a shorter university system

.pdf
1 Benefits of a Shorter University System Carlos Pena COMM 44: Argumentation Professor, Brielle Plump July 22, 2020
2 Picture this: you're a computer science major in a chemistry class or possibly an inspiring animator taking a calculus course. We've all wondered why we have to take courses that do not directly relate to our major. Shortening the university system will benefit students and the economy for three main reasons - it will increase student retention, lower unemployment rates, and decrease student debt. By shortening our university system into two years students are able to focus on courses that are actually relevant to their area of interest. Shortening college requirements to two years allows for higher student retention. Students are able to focus more when they are studying something that interests them as opposed to studying courses that they might not find as engaging. In an article published by Unit4, a software company, that aims to transform work and how people feel about it, it was shown that "Since the economic downturn in 2008, graduation rates have dropped and few higher education professionals know how to effectively address the issue. As it stands now, only 66 percent of four-year public universities and 54 percent of private institutions have developed actionable plans to improve student retention rates". It is increasingly important for colleges to have a plan to keep students. Students are dropping out of college at increasing rates for other reasons such as the high costs. Two years of college would be less expensive and students will likely complete their degrees if they can afford it. Additionally, if students complete college in two years they are able to see their progress in a shorter time frame thus encouraging them to complete it. Changing our university system to two years will benefit the economy by reducing the unemployment rate. In an article titled, For Costs and Benefits in Vocational Education and Training, Kathrin Hoeckel states that students that attended a vocational school had a low unemployment rate. This was possible because students were taught a specialized skill set that
3 employers looked for. As opposed to requiring students to take courses that are irrelevant to their degrees, a two year system would focus on developing skills that are relevant to the chosen career. The result is that students are able to successfully transition to the workforce because they are highly trained in their chosen career. On the job work experience is an important factor in landing a job after graduation. Compressing the university system into two years would allow more opportunities for college graduates to gain practical work experience that will make them more employable. Lastly by shortening college requirements students will have less student debt. According to Stephanie Mackara in Money Minded Families: How to Raise Financially Well Children, the student debt in the United States is $1.56 trillion and the number is expected to grow. The cost to attend a university in the US is about $20,000 per year for public universities and about $50,000 for private universities, this means that students are paying anywhere from $80,000-$200,000 for four years of higher education. With very little resources students and parents alike are forced to apply for loans with high interest rates, the high number of student debt could be drastically reduced by shortening the university system. Instead of having to pay up to $200,000 for four years of college students could be paying a fraction of that by attending school for just two years. In conclusion shortening the university system to two years will benefit students and the economy. There are three main benefits for converting to a shorter education system. First, students will benefit by staying in college and pursuing higher education. Second, it will benefit the economy through reduced unemployment rates, and lastly, students will pay less in student debt. As a student who has been in college for 3 years I can relate to the difficulties that other
Uploaded by MagistrateBravery11795 on coursehero.com