Before he retired in 2019, Keith Law taught philosophy at Merced College. He has many decades’ experience in education. The current debate over how to begin the fall 2020 school year is stuck in a false dilemma between two equally bad options. Parents don’t want to send children to school if they risk infection for them and their families, not to mention the risks to teachers and staff. On the […]
Keith Law
The “Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations” in California’s Higher Education
Merced College Professor of Philosophy Keith Law has a long history of questioning conventional wisdom and popular opinion. Below, he takes on recent trends in higher education. Ed. “The key to my success is a very simple and time-honored tradition, hard work for teacher and student alike.” Jaime Escalante Readers of this editorial may recall the story of Jaime Escalante (1930 – 2010) from the 1988 film, Stand and Deliver. In the […]
Merced College Students Study Outsourcing Financial Aid
Despite their popularity with college and university administrators, institutions that have been hired to disburse financial aid for students continue to come under scrutiny from federal and state government overseers. On September 6, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 595 (SB 595). The bill stipulates, among other things, b) (1) Each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University shall offer a student the option of […]
Is Your College Betting Against Students with Higher One?
Editor’s note: The earliest version of this story did not explain the difference between the budget “reserve” and a budget “surplus.” A sharp-eyed reader caught the error, and we have added a parenthetical explanation below. Thanks to our vigilant readers for the help, always. At Merced College, the trouble with Higher One began during the second week of the fall semester. That’s when the College administration learned many students would […]