Spring Break
Papadakis' Golden Idea
By: Editorial Board
Issue date: 8/10/07 Section: Ed-Op
Originally published: 8/10/07 at 3:37 AM EST
Last update: 8/13/07 at 7:36 PM EST
Originally published: 8/10/07 at 3:37 AM EST
Last update: 8/13/07 at 7:36 PM EST
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Finally, the heart of the 'red tape' problem at Drexel was revealed this month after it was reported that Drexel is thinking about opening a campus all the way out on the west coast in Sacramento, Calif.
So, here's the big secret - the reason why you feel like you're getting exploited or 'shafted' every day you're at Drexel - the current University administration has no interest in creating a high quality, bang-for-your-buck educational institution; they just want to do enough to keep you quiet and send you packing with a degree in your hand.
The dedication to things like professor quality, safety, administrative services and all the other expectations we have when we pay over $100,000 in tuition is always just enough.
How did we come to this conclusion?
Well, opening a satellite campus 2,400 miles away from Philadelphia is like franchising a corporate entity.
Feel skeptical about the idea?
President Papadakis revealed his thought process to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
"We identified that that strongest growth of population in 18-year-olds will be in California, Texas and Florida," Papadakis said. "So we started thinking about how to export our brand to another state."
Pretend like that quote isn't in the context of Drexel opening another campus, but rather a blurb about a new product or some kind of store that is targeting 18-year-old customers. It still fits, doesn't it?
Like a CEO at a Fortune 500 corporation, Papadakis talks about "growth of population in 18-year-olds" and "exporting our brand," as if he was selling a product instead of educating us. Is this really the kind of language we can expect from a university president - a person whose ideas are being instilled in and shaping the future of thousands of students?
Papadakis is indeed a charismatic leader with innovative ideas. In fact, he and former Senior Vice President Anthony Caneris, who retired in the spring, saved Drexel from bankruptcy when they came in 1995. In the twelve years since, enrollment has increased to roughly 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and the endowment has skyrocketed from $90 million to $640 million.
So, here's the big secret - the reason why you feel like you're getting exploited or 'shafted' every day you're at Drexel - the current University administration has no interest in creating a high quality, bang-for-your-buck educational institution; they just want to do enough to keep you quiet and send you packing with a degree in your hand.
The dedication to things like professor quality, safety, administrative services and all the other expectations we have when we pay over $100,000 in tuition is always just enough.
How did we come to this conclusion?
Well, opening a satellite campus 2,400 miles away from Philadelphia is like franchising a corporate entity.
Feel skeptical about the idea?
President Papadakis revealed his thought process to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
"We identified that that strongest growth of population in 18-year-olds will be in California, Texas and Florida," Papadakis said. "So we started thinking about how to export our brand to another state."
Pretend like that quote isn't in the context of Drexel opening another campus, but rather a blurb about a new product or some kind of store that is targeting 18-year-old customers. It still fits, doesn't it?
Like a CEO at a Fortune 500 corporation, Papadakis talks about "growth of population in 18-year-olds" and "exporting our brand," as if he was selling a product instead of educating us. Is this really the kind of language we can expect from a university president - a person whose ideas are being instilled in and shaping the future of thousands of students?
Papadakis is indeed a charismatic leader with innovative ideas. In fact, he and former Senior Vice President Anthony Caneris, who retired in the spring, saved Drexel from bankruptcy when they came in 1995. In the twelve years since, enrollment has increased to roughly 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and the endowment has skyrocketed from $90 million to $640 million.
portlandme
Michael Angelone
posted 8/10/07 @ 11:20 AM EST
I agree completely with this editorial, very well said! See my comments under the news article about
this.
Parent of recent graduate