dagblog - Comments for "21st Century Education: SUNY Albany Edition"

Yeah. There's the problem

Doctor Cleveland — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:34:47 +0000

Yeah. There's the problem right there.

Great point, thanks.

I live in Salt Lake City,

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 07:19:16 +0000

In reply to 21st Century Education: SUNY Albany Edition

I live in Salt Lake City, though I'm not from here. Tonight I listened to State Superintendant Larry Shumway deliver his annual "State of Utah Education" address. For the past decade or so, Utah has consistently placed last nationally in per capita student spending. In 2009, we spent an average of about $5700 per student; Idaho, the next-to-last state, spent nearly $7000 per student, while the national average is roughly $10,300. But superintendant Shumway had a different way of looking at it. "Instead of seeing it as expenditure-per-student," he said, "I prefer to see it as cost-per-student. From this perspective, Utah actually LEADS the nation in educational efficiency."

Nelson Rockefeller is turning

anna am — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 05:17:53 +0000

In reply to Well so far it's just Albany.

Nelson Rockefeller is turning over in his grave.

Yes. Well what can you say.

anna am — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 05:06:00 +0000

In reply to They weren't above bragging

Yes. Well what can you say. It's a disturbing trend. Next they'll reduce English programs to writing and reading skills for college, and the people who teach Shakespeare and Romantic Poetry will be driving cabs. Though don't get me wrong, I understand that SUNY has to regroup, especially at the community college level where they need a lot more career-oriented training. But SUNY Albany's a four year school. And they don't need to offer degrees in languages and the classics? That's actually worse than eliminating the theatre program, which is specialized and perhaps arcane in the larger scheme of things. But if the humanities become the province of private schools and only those who can afford the tuition (or the poor but brilliant scholarship students) will graduate knowing who Homer and Dante were, much less having read anything they might've written, what then? We've already got enough cultural illiteracy in this country, and enough insularity and closed minds.

At least one important

Doctor Cleveland — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 03:36:25 +0000

In reply to I studied to be a

At least one important Renaissance English playwright, John Webster, actually was a wainwright's son.

They weren't above bragging

Doctor Cleveland — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 03:34:36 +0000

In reply to I think you're totally right,

They weren't above bragging about their great Theater alum Harold Gould last week, either. Have obit for celebrity alumni in the Times, immediately cut program that produced that alumni.

Actually, Macy and Mamet

anna am — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 03:00:31 +0000

In reply to Ironic thing about Mamet is

Actually, Macy and Mamet hooked up with each other in, ironically enough, college. Then later, they started up a theatre company together in Chicago.

I think you're totally right,

anna am — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 02:27:39 +0000

In reply to Well, apprenticeships are

I think you're totally right, Dr. C. Especially about the absolute impossibility of setting out on a technical career in theatre with no training. But Mamet also leaves out little details like the fact that having gone to, say, a school like Yale School of Drama (where he taught) is a total calling card when you hit New York. Send out your picture and resume to agents, and who's going to get the agent to come and check you out in your 4th floor walk up off off off Broadway debut on the Lower East Side? The kid from Iowa who did Motel the Tailor in highschool or the kid who's got an MFA in acting from Yale?

No doubt there are really different lessons to be learned from being in an equity production. But good luck to kids with no connections or experience getting in one. And while there's a lot that can be learned rehearsing and performing four floors up for no pay and 12 people in the audience, it's a tough row to hoe, waiting tables or typing your fingers off to make ends meet. Not something I'd want my eighteen year old kid to leave home to do.

College is the intermediary stage between adolescence and setting out as an adult (or semi-adult) in a career, and it's no different for a kid who wants to be an actor and a kid who wants to be an accountant. I mean, what should the budding tax expert do? Go out and work as a receptionist at H&R Block to get "real world" experience? This is hogwash.

And it saddens me greatly that a school like Albany State, that had such a great theatre department at one time, has now given up the ghost.

Well so far it's just Albany.

Doctor Cleveland — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 23:10:48 +0000

In reply to My younger kid is at SUNY

Well so far it's just Albany. SUNY campuses are more autonomous colleges and universities than they are one big megaschool, and this decision was made by Albany's president.

It does seem driven by the legislature's treatment of overall SUNY funding, and is clearly a response to continuous cutting. After all, the legislature just raised tuition for in-state students, but cut SUNY's state funding by the amount that tuition had gone up. Believe me, I understand that the people who run SUNY campuses are looking at serious budget dilemmas.

My younger kid is at SUNY

wabby — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 22:48:06 +0000

In reply to 21st Century Education: SUNY Albany Edition

My younger kid is at SUNY Oswego and will be graduating in the spring with a degree in Fine Arts...if she passes French. Looks like she squeaked through just in the nick of time if the SUNY system is going to start cutting instructors and programs.