EDITORIAL – Do not pass go, do not collect diploma

A significant amount of attention has recently been focused on students graduating from… A significant amount of attention has recently been focused on students graduating from college as opposed to students just getting into college.

An article on www.cnn.com reported the most recent federal statistics: 57 percent of white students graduate with their degree compared to only 44 percent of Hispanics and 39 percent of blacks.

The article also goes on to mention other irregularities about the graduation rate at four-year colleges and universities. While Ivy League or elite schools consistently have high graduation rates, the rates for Division I schools with similar demographics tend to vary significantly.

William Bowen, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is conducting a study that takes a more introspective look at students. He is looking deeper into their individual situations to evaluate what factors contributed to their dropping out of college.

The most discouraging thing about this noticeable decline in graduation is that a sizable amount of those who drop out are those who took loans out to go to school in the first place. Often, these students are in more desperate circumstances after a year of college than if they had never attended college in the first place.

Perhaps one reason that students are now more eager to go to college is tied to the idea that going to college is simply another rite of passage. A significant number of those from middle- to upper-class families consider college a necessity and not an option.

Also, it doesn’t help that there is an unfounded stigma attached to blue-collar jobs. The stigma of this alternative to the college option combined with the social pressure of going to college forces those who would otherwise be successful elsewhere to be unsuccessful at college.

High schools are also at fault for contributing to this decline. Some high schools with quotas to fill regarding their matriculation rates often send students to college unprepared. High schools should be empowering students with personal finance workshops and stress workshops, and they should encourage alumni from their high schools to return with sound advice.

Also, it would help if high schools were more realistic by presenting the alternatives as possibilities. Whether it is trade school or the army, both should be available to contend with four-year universities.

There is something to be said about the current problems that students face at college. A considerable number of students are without books and some necessary skills that could impact their success. More universities should have offices comparable to Pitt’s Student Support Services. Also, our Office of Student Affairs could help to promote placing textbooks for all classes on reserve at the library.

It seems that the biggest change that needs to be made exists in students’ outlook and communicating that honestly. We all must work on breaking the stigma and strive for personal achievement. Whether the end result lands you in a CEO’s office or behind a dumpster truck, both are respectable and essential occupations to the smooth functioning of our everyday lives.