A Radical Idea for Higher Education

I understand that college students want a free education. Frankly, it's ok with me, but I am not a professor. 

 

I would imagine that the college professor faces a dilemma. On the one hand, they surely feel bad about charging young people MONEY for something like providing an education. 

 

On the other hand, I know they get hungry and need clothing and shelter and if they spend all their time educating for free they won't eat. 

 

It's quite a dilemma but I have an idea. Bear with me on this. What if we brought together students on the one side, and professors on the other, and we worked out a compromise where the students would pay some money to the professors, and in return the professors would impart some knowledge to the students. 

 

This compromise approach could incorporate the needs and wishes of both sides, while providing a potential win-win for everyone. 

 

I think this new enlightened approach will allow us to pay a "reasonable" amount for education, only because we respect the needs of educators to have their basic needs heard and met as well. 

 

We will arrive on a consensus "living stipend" that professors will be allotted whenever they educate students. This cost would be shared evenly by members of the collective, or classroom, as agreed to by all. 

We dislike the antiquated terms "negotiation" and "salary" and "tuition". Instead, education will be "free" with a "consensus" amount of "living stipend" "allocated" to "providers" with the burden shared equally across the collective. 

 

This plan will allow students and faculty to come together and form a "free education" society of their own, without the influence of a racist, homophobic, materialist society that only asks the price of things. This plan frees students and teachers of that influence.

 

This plan will free students and faculty to learn about anything or nothing as they please. What they choose to teach or learn will be for them to decide. 

 

The Professors will probably want a union, and the students should be free to have one as well.  Both sides can have open and frank discussions about the relative merits of each side. Each union can fight for the right of their members.

 

I know it sounds radical, but I say let teachers and students get together and figure out what that all looks like. 

 

Just leave me out of it.