InsideHigherEd reports shrinkage of PhD Admisssions

Well now this is interesting.Not sure if this will help to balance the terribly skewed ratio of Ph.D.s awarded to academic jobs available, but perhaps it is a step in the right direction?If we could simultaneously generate the funding and resources necessary for more faculty research positions that might go a long way further.The article makes the point that Ph.D. degrees are subject to a different economic metric than most higher education since we tend to be supported by tuition waivers and fellowships rather than paying tuition into the degree-granting institution (bunch of fucking leeches!) so it makes a certain amount of economic sense in this climate. On the other hand, this seems in opposition to Obama's push for more higher education to be available for everyone (an idea that I also think is a GoodThing)....hmmmm.Also, if this were to reuslt in a widespread net decrease in the number of Ph.D. students who will be at the bench doing all the research funded by those challenge grants??????? ( I jest a little here since the timing of a net decrease in Ph.D. students is unlikely to coincide with challenge grant dispersals, but you get the point.)What do you think intertubes? Is this a GoodThing or not?

Labels: Admisssions, Insidehighered, Phd