[Mpls] NJL's GC comments

[David Brauer]

On Apr 22, 2005, at 2:31 PM, WLDJ36 at aol.com wrote:

> As a state land grant university supported by taxpayer dollars, the
> University of Minnesota must make General College work or have some =20=

> alternative for
> poorly prepared Minnesota high school students with a  Minneapolis=20
> high school
> diploma. If General College is closed with no  alternative, students=20=

> will
> flock to the downtown Minneapolis Community College.

They already do. In fact, MCTC (Minneapolis Community and Technical=20
College) is the place where such students SHOULD go.

General College made sense back when the state's community and state=20
colleges were not as well-developed =97 especially in the city. But=20
MCTC's quality is a strong argument for shutting GC down. MCTC is a=20
strong teaching institution where students can get their two-year=20
degrees and, if they succeed academically and want to continue their=20
education, go to the U for their last two years.

I'm sympathetic to the argument that some students need an on-ramp to a=20=

four-year degree, but I think MCTC is the better pathway than GC.

I hope we can back away from the vituperativeness; I don't think GC=20
opponents are racist and no side is free of knee-jerk reactions.

David Brauer
Kingfield
U guy for all too many years in the '80s.