University Acknowledges It Publicized Inflated SAT Scores

The American university system desperately needs reformation. With a corrupting tenure system at the heart of the issue, Academia struggles with basic truth on an almost daily basis. Where else can one find institutions whose tuition charges rise at exponentially higher levels than the reigning inflation rate? Where else can one find staff paid six-figure compensation packages for a few hours of work per week, while farming out "real" teaching to minimum wage teaching assistants? Where else can coaches get paid millions while scientists get bubkas?

Bucknell University
(photo: forbes.com)

The list of grievances goes on and on. The latest outrage from the land of higher education comes from Bucknell University. The school recently admitted it had provided misleading student body SAT score information for years. The goal? Apparently to improve the school's ranking on mindless lists such as those concocted by US News and World Report.

At least that's what one gathers from an article on the subject in today's online edition of The Washington Post. Not surprisingly, Bucknell administrators revealed the story on Friday, which assured minimal attention for the bad news. The U's spin is a case study in litigation avoidance while seeming to provide a moment of perestroika for the institution.

Meanwhile, just who was responsible for Bucknell's black eye? "'...(E)nrollment management leadership no longer with the university prepared these inaccurate numbers,' Bucknell president John C.  Bravman said in a statement." (No questions from the press corps, please.)

Ah, but the story wasn't quite done. "It was unclear why the problem occurred," the Post reported. "'We can't discern people's intentions,'" officials said on the Bucknell Web site," (please, no questions), "'but at a minimum the inaccurate numbers show an inexplicable inattention to the accuracy of data that the university is obligated to manage carefully and report on completely.'"

Well, did anyone bother to ask to "discern (those) people's intentions?" If not, why not? In the absence of such obvious inquiry, one could surmise that the atmosphere that breeds corruption at the university level continues.

I hope you swallow hard when that next tuition bill from your son's or daughter's college comes in, along with a notice that next year will "regrettably require higher tuition and fees..."