[Mpls] NJL's GC comments

[Jim Bernstein]

If General College is closed, more students will turn the MNSCU
community and technical colleges for coursework until they can be
admitted to one of the other colleges at the U of M. That can be a very
positive step for both the student and the U of M.=20

To make this work however, the University of Minnesota is going to have
to swallow some pride and allow coursework at the MNSCU two year
colleges (or four for that matter)to be transferred in whole into the
admitting college at the U of M. Too often, MNSCU credits are not
transferred in whole. =20

Better still, transfer General College to MNSCU and with its own
baccalaureate programs, merge Metro State into it and call it Central
Minnesota State or something. Easier said than done I know, but now is
the time for re-thinking how we deliver more most-secondary options to a
fast growing metro area. =20

Jim Bernstein
Fulton
=20

-----Original Message-----
From: mpls-bounces at mnforum.org [mailto:mpls-bounces at mnforum.org] On
Behalf Of David Brauer
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 3:02 PM
To: mpls at mnforum.org
Subject: Re: [Mpls] NJL's GC comments

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.
=20

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