Higher Edu. Costs Up, Enrollment Declines and Lots of Problems with Few Solutions (Human Capital Access)

Higher education is getting more expensive and the list of solutions getting shorter. It's not that we can't find solutions but it is that there is no compromising in the culture battles that rage in universities. Ground campuses are great and often provide an exceptional educational experience but also come with a higher price tag and are not necessarily the most diverse due to their restrictive selectivity. Many universities are experiencing a decline in enrollment with expenses rising. Some are closing.

It doesn't need to be that way...

Online education has risen to fill the gap for many Americans who do not come from wealthier families and cater to a more diverse population that is more reflective of a modern society. Some of these programs do great at measuring learning while some (ground and online) avoid metrics of learning but yet claim to be superior based on price. We should expect a Higher Ed. reckoning someday where the perception and reality of both come into line. 

Costs at some colleges nearing $100,000 per year, but many families pay a lot less

Much of it isn't about the modality but more about the politics of it all. To me, one can get their education by picking up a library card and sitting under a tree with skilled people. The professors of old were called philosophers. However, in today's world, we need more specialized advanced industry knowledge to ensure that we can put such skills learned in college (the tree) to good use in the market to help society. 

There is no right or wrong other than cost, access, and quality. No one owns the quality debate unless they measure their learning in an objective way and then compare that to the price students pay, access, and availability of learned knowledge to ensure they are raising society's competitiveness. Human capital development requires diverse and easy access to update skills in a technologically advancing society where every 10 years the market is radically different. That is going to be hard if you have to go to campus.

Words in the wind blew away as quickly as uttered... 

Higher Education and Human Capital Development

Beyond the lack of objective measurements on quality, rising cost, and lower enrollment one could make an argument on research. Research is an important part of encouraging higher innovation in the nation. However, this is not an online or offline argument. I have seen innovation come from industry, universities, and entrepreneurs. Newton just got hit in the head with an apple and he didn't have to pay $100K for a lump and a new idea.

The online world can take advantage of practitioner knowledge mixed with academic knowledge to create applied research. Not all ground universities are research schools and still some are really good at it. There is nothing that stops ground or online from conducting research and I encourage professors to start doing both when and where they can. Making an exception for the type of research. 

I have found grants for one of the local fire departments and have conducted research, perhaps even groundbreaking in someways, (as well as on my own), and let me say its not the modality (except the physical sciences) that stops that from happening (My issue is time and resources). I have been browsing this database and others lately and am actively looking for grants not only for local first responders, and my community but also to advance higher education globally where it is struggling to adapt to new market realities (At least im thinking about it if necessary). Government Grants. (If you have a few good ones send them my way.)

To me, just like one can come up with a great idea under an apple tree there is no reason without some small changes on both sides of the argument for ground and online education to complement each other. Mater of fact, they can hedge each others weaknesses and enhance each other's strengths. Apple to mapple they both can be sweet or bitter.

We can rejuvenate our nation's higher education place in the world if we want...unless we don't want them too for cultural factors or ensuring someone doesn't move the cheese. Just saying it takes a little critical thinking to understand the benefits and detractors of both while recognizing their inherent value to students and society....assuming they are the ultimate stakeholders (Sometimes I wonder? 🤔). 

Newton's apple: The real story

Whoops the wind blew away the words again. Getting windy out here.  😬💨

What To Do When Your Societal Value is Low? A New Generation Emerges

People make judgements all the time about others with little to no knowledge and that can cause a lot of problems in society if it runs amuck. We have a whole new batch in society growing up and they come with more enlightened values. This generation is much more diverse and will bring with them new thoughts and ideas. Societal Value might be seen through a whole different kind of lens not based in superficial thinking.

During my time any difference in racial or religious beliefs often came with a level of disdain and in many cases mistreatment. Not by all of course, but by segregationists with little or no respect for what makes us distinctly American. There were few backstops and in some circles wobbling loyalties to our Constitution.

The young generations won't see people through such distorted values. They will be more concerned about the essence of who a person is versus what their outside appearance might be, their form of worship, or their extra curriculum activities. A person will be seen more holistically because their brains have familiarity with diversity and can process it more accurately (This is why the old can not always understand the perspective of the young even though they were once young themselves.)

As a person open to different religious experiences (Catholic, Muslim, Jew with great respect for other religions like Hinduism and Buddhism) and mixed race children, I know all too well what hate can do to society and do to our lives on an actualized level. Some of us stood tall against it while others groveled at the feet ignorance and kissed the toes of prejudice.

It made no difference to these people my sacrifices to society nor my essence as a person. My achievements, successes and failures all swept into the same leaky basket and thrown overboard. While not perfect, I am a good person who has done a lot of good things for people and continues to do so based on hope that we will reorient our values to those things we profess (alignment between word and deed). 

However, for some the superficial is more is more important than the deep. Ones politics is more important than their values, ones self-enrichment is more important than their loyalties, and most importantly ones social perception is more important than their soul (integrity and truth).

The new generation won't view people as having low or high societal value based on false anchors of race or religion. Because of that diversity they can only judge another man/women by their actions and not the judger's bias. Diversity is not a dirty word to be discarded but instead a natural part of their lives.

The young generation can teach the old about low and high societal value as well. Low being those who engage in partisan politics, hate, and corruption of position and high being those who stand fast to solving problems, tolerance, and standing by their oaths to make their nation stronger. When young have more knowledge then the old, we know we need to change. The question then becomes how?

Democracy allows each generation to peacefully create value and redefine decisions from generation to generation. Many other forms of government cannot say the same. As this new group comes to power, I suggest they learn from the past on what not to do and what can be done. They can then vote for what they want versus accepting the dictation of those who rarely pick up a history book or scribble with a pen.

Learn from those who were the trailblazers for a higher level of universal democracy where we are valued by who we are and not by what others perceive us to be. The young have better vision than the old as well. A few have better than far sighted 20/20 vision. It is the old's responsibility to prepare them. Reconnecting Democracy for the Next Generation

We may consider each generation as a separate nation, with a right, by the will of the majority, to bind themselves, but none to bind the succeeding generation, more than the inhabitants of another country. -Thomas Jefferson 

(The beginning of the Bill of Rights in Madison-Jefferson Exchange)

Source

Update on Hate (April 6th, 2024): Protecting Violent Hate to Enrich Perpetrators (Hypothetical Example)

The National Institute of Justice Indicates that Federal systems capture 1 in 31 hate crimes and hate crimes are seriously under reported. Using Research to Improve Hate Crime Reporting and Identification. The problem has become so pervasive that one must wonder if there is a real commitment to tackle these issues and protect the integrity of some of our local institutions. The good news is that eventually things will be corrected because others in society have experienced similar things and that is going to lead to major cultural changes we now find when we poll those under the age of 30. 

Let me give you a hypothetical example for illustrative purposes. Local Muslim family (switch with any race or religion in a highly diverse society.) are targeted for hate because people want to violently and socially push them out of their ancestral land. More than 100+ are aware of the hate crimes that include multiple incidents of intended, widely spread hate narratives, and implied and attempted violence. Such behaviors included screaming out names to one of the parents in front of kids, staring children down in public, spreading rumors, targeting for intimidation, rejection of jobs, stalking, online hate behaviors, human rights violations, and even actualized attempts at violence. Nearly all of the incidents were documented and witnessed but quickly discarded and protected by corrupted hate group supporters. 

Once the incidents were reported the victims were again targeted for additional violent hate and human rights violations. The goal is to protect corruption and the inner Good Old Boy network (i.e. Ethnic Clan). Others came forward and complained about corruption and human/civil rights violations and they were directly retaliated against as well. Their complaints were public and recorded but that made little difference in the decision-making of those who were supposed to be protecting the ultimate stakeholders of society. i.e. the public.  In some ways the crimes are ongoing due to lack of account and corruption of misbehaviors....

One would say for sure that in a modern nation and society, we would hold the perpetrators to account and we would correct such situations. However, that isn't always the case. The bias is so deeply embedded that there is a general refusal to protect targeted populations (switch with any race or religion in a highly diverse society). One would say that the rights of such individuals do not exist and are discounted to encourage the political, racial, and religious preferences of the perpetrators and supporters. The dangers to the integrity of one's oaths and social contracts are becoming increasingly worthy of question.  

(There is a point where protecting our essential freedoms will be more important than protecting violent hate. When we make that switch, we know that we are restoring justice to the area and integrity to the system in a way in which it will encourage economic and social thriving. Those corrupted souls that protect such hate without putting in place new protections or holding the initiators accountable have low moral conscious and little respect for our long earned freedoms or the community they pretend to serve.)

While this is a hypothetical example we do know that such behaviors do sometimes happen and when corruption is mixed with such crimes the laws are sort of thrown out the window. Perpetrators can in the future target and misuse authority simply because backstops and intentional underreporting are culturally encourage to protect some at the expense of others. As we move forward in our national development we will have to come to grips with the risks of such extreme bias and its institutional and human capital implications. This is why I always advocated for tolerance, living by one's oath, protecting human/civil rights, creating strong supported systems and ensuring that we stand by our Constitution (the things we all agree on). 

Many people are doing the right thing but some are doing the wrong thing and protecting those wrong things no matter what the long-term implications of doing so are for the nation and society (Notice how they sold out their nation and people by not living by these shared contracts and values until it was in their own self interest to do so.) Those who protect those behaviors are not qualified to be in positions of authority and it is up to the youth (and others) to vote them out and change the cultural trajectory of unAmerican values in our society. We owe it to our children, grandchildren, and ourselves to at least attempt to protect their futures. Where one system fails a more organic system can correct through our shared commitment to societal health. The beauty of democracy is that they can do this through their vote.

*This hypothetical example is for illustrative purposes. The insight one might gain is the long-term risks of protecting violent hate and how that can impact institutional trust and human capital development. As you can tell I'm an advocate for the strongest most healthy nation we can  create so our free and democratic principles continue to resonate with each generation and the world at large. Freedom of speech, religion or general safety should not be ignored. There is no political partisanship in that. The questions being what do you believe and who will you vote for or follow? This is your part of the conversation that defines you as an individual and our society in many ways.

I have used different religions and races to sort of highlight the issues universally to many different types of people. As I go forward with this discussion I will switch them up because in a highly diverse society like ours, we all have rights to worship, live, and be who we were meant to be no matter who agrees or disagrees. It is inherent in our doctrines and in human existence.

The U.S. is Making a Come Back: Jobs Added and Unemployment Down

The labor market and related economic growth again surprised the vast majority of economists; save a few. Industry, construction, healthcare, government, and leisure & hospitality saw bigger growth trends. Wages went up 4.1% over a year and unemployment went down 3.8%. I wouldn't expect interest rate cuts anytime soon without a change in the market. It would be risky to artificially impact the economy without understanding some of the trending factors. Move too soon and you overheat and move too late and things stall out. The U.S. is making a comeback!

Lower unemployment is putting upward pressure on wages. What I would like to see is that people train on new skills and go to school to move up to higher value employment positions to increase their value in the global supply chain. We may also want to see AI and robotics improve manufacturing by tapping into new infrastructure in a way that enhances U.S. worker productivity (and global value). Likewise, small and medium businesses should be encouraged to create future innovation beyond 5 years. 

(Time will tell.... I didn't go to an ivy league school and had to work and raise kids like the vast majority of blue collar and Middle Class Americans that didn't come with trust funds. I'm an advocate for easy access education to create equity, to develop the American worker and the economy. An educated, skilled and informed workforce is more important than retaining such benefits for a smaller and wealthier demographic. I'm working on a transactional cluster theory for rapid industy innovation. I have the main principles down but want to write it into a book shorter than the disjointed 300 pages+ I have now.🫤 )

March 2024 BEA Employment/Unemployment (April 5th, 2024)

"Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 303,000 in March, and the unemployment rate changed little at 3.8 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, government, and construction" (BEA, April 5th, 2024, para 1.).

You can see some of the demographic adjustments. 

"Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for Blacks (6.4 percent) increased in March, while the rates for Asians (2.5 percent) and Hispanics (4.5 percent) decreased. The jobless rates for adult men (3.3 percent), adult women (3.6 percent), teenagers (12.6 percent), and Whites (3.4 percent) showed little or no change over the month" (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)" (BEA, April 5th, 2024, para 4).

The Just and the Unjust? The Importance of a High Functioning Justice System (Scenario A and Scenario B)

The just and the unjust have been part of our society since the beginning of human civilization. We humans are imperfect people and sometimes can be destructive and selfish. The Just are able to make appropriate weight of fairness in society while the Unjust encourages disparity. One builds a healthy society and the other seeks to harm that society. You have a responsibility to encourage what is good and healthy in our society. You can do that in little ways.

Let me give you an example and you can decide for yourself what you believe.

Hypothetical Example: A person high on the dark triad traits spreads a hate narrative to as many people as they can to financially and socially gain. Use of personal connections and false complaints are launched to manipulate a local institution to target a minority family. In this example, they were able to coordinate a large group of shallow bigoted followers to publicly scorn the family in an attempt to cleans them out of a community despite having deeper genetic roots to the land (even before most others). It appears from their coordinated performance they have done this at other times and other people. These social groups and connections are causing problems for others who brought forward similar complaints of extremism and corruption. Some were retaliated against for raising those concerns.

What is Just and What is Unjust?

Scenario A: The situation is further investigated and those who were intentionally destructive were held to an appropriate account and are not financially rewarded for manipulative behaviors. Greater emphasis on ensuring local officials do not connect and fraternize with such groups. Furthermore, checks and balances were put in place in case this occurs again. General performance of these institutions improves while crime declines. The area sees improvement in trust in the foundations of local institutions and its leaders. People become more engage in building their community together as a single people.

Scenario B: Large group of officials and local hate group target minorities and are given a free pass by the local judicial system. No matter how many witnesses and evidence their main concern is to clean their community of minorities and protect each other from accountability. Hate crimes are unreported and divisions in society further socialize expectations of hate. The wider system doesn't understand nor has any backstop from semi-coordinated extremists and corruption. Local economy becomes weaker and partisan political conflict rises. Why rural white Americans’ resentment is a threat to democracy (In a highly diverse society  you can swap with any race or religion. Don't get hung up on any race or religion but look at the mechanics.)

Most Americans believe a society like ours should work together, encourage tolerance, and accountability for improper actions to ensure integrity of institutions. Most reasonable Americans would opt for Scenario A versus Scenario B because it is in the best interest of everyone. Partisanship and bigotries are no longer acceptable in our society and corruption should be shunned. However, we do not live always in a just world and those that make it an unjust are often free to create chaos because of a lack of wider moral conscious. Do We Live in an Unjust World?

What are some of the long term consequences of not doing the right thing? In the short run the consequences seem small but in the long run you see the fabric of society struggling and that is a direct result of waning commitment to the principles of democracy and weakening commitment to our Constitutional ideals of free of religion and freedom of speech. 

Review the two polls below. Do not pick a political side in the article but become aware of the poll and some of its implications. Ask yourself what do you want to see out of your nation and ask yourself how the young may better strengthen our democracy by rejection partisanship and rejecting those who protect corruption and mistreatment. We are all in this ship together and will need to function organically to support our principles to ensure we understand true North so we can navigate the bouncing seas safely (all of us). 

The bad news, Most Americans say democracy important for US, but not functioning well: Survey

What can draw us together and is a place to start New survey finds agreement on most core American values

It is your patriotic duty to be the best person you can, utilize your skills well, encourage fair and just treatment of each other, avoid partisanship, and encourage people to think about how to create bridges where people are actively burning them. Be better than those who reject the fundamentals of our democracy that leads to a strong nation and economy. When you stand for your oaths and say, "with liberty and justice for all" truly understand those words and let them reverberate in your hearts...because your children and grandchildren depend on your daily choices, behaviors and activities. If you can be a slightly better and more thoughtful person today than you were yesterday, you are moving in the right direction.

*This is for illustrative purposes. Feel free discard the theoretical dribble. 

February 2024 Jobs Are Still Strong. Some market transitions.

Thinking about the U.S. economy and whether we entered into a new phase of our development it is helpful to review the employment rate and more specifically what type of jobs are being created and which types of jobs are dissipating. Employment shifts are a type of adaptive transition from lower to higher value propositions. If we go from higher to lower value jobs then the average American, and in some cases the nation, might have some things to work on. If jobs move from lower to higher positions than society is moving in the right direction.

For the most part it looks like we are shifting still and maintaining higher levels of employment. We will always need some level of unemployment to grease the adjustment in industries and ensure that people can transition to higher value industries. When that happens we can see wages inching up in a positive way. Profits will also likely rise.

For example, what might more jobs at local government and less at federal government mean? Why are we seeing more in arts, entertainment and recreation and if that creates a trend what does that hint at for choice and culture? Look for trends and try not to get caught in normal market fluctuations. 

The following is quoted from JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – FEBRUARY 2024 

"The number of job openings changed little at 8.8 million on the last business day of February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, the number of hires and total separations were little changed at 5.8 million and 5.6 million, respectively. Within separations, quits (3.5 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.7 million) changed little. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by establishment size class. (BEA, April, 2024, para 1)"

"On the last business day of February, the number of job openings changed little at 8.8 million; this measure is down from a series high of 12.2 million in March 2022. The rate was 5.3 percent for the third month in a row. In February, job openings increased in finance and insurance (+126,000); state and local government, excluding education (+91,000); and arts, entertainment, and recreation (+51,000). Job openings decreased in information (-85,000) and in federal government (-21,000). (See table 1.) BEA, April, 2023, Para 2)"

I like to read some of Wolf's stuff because sometimes the analysis are really good.  I don't always agree with every every thing but for the most part its lots of insightful stuff. I'm neurodivergent so if I agree with most then that is a good sign for me. I have read many analysis and didn't get how they came to the conclusion. In these articles I kind of see the line.:) 

This Labor Market Is Not Loosening Further: Fed Gets More Reason for Wait-and-See

Sustainable Trees: A Flowered Tree Canopy

Trees are one of the cheapest ways to improve your environment and fight global warming. It has its aesthetic benefits, soil protection, minimized pollution and helps to reverse global warming. Cities can generally improve tree cover fairly easy by planting in open fields, meridians and other places. Some cities have gone through tree planting initiatives to beautify their neighborhoods. 

Flowered Tree Canopy
Took the shot one night
standing under a
tree and looked up. 

The benefits of trees for livable and sustainable communities

It would be interesting if one could pull a few studies in the literature on the density of trees in quality of life, income, health, economy, etc. just to see if there is some loose association with tree cover. Then run some numbers and maintenance costs to see if it is a net positive for local economies. 

I came up with an idea to use trees, even fruit trees, to create shade to reduce the need for watering gardens and farms. As a side thought one might wonder if you also use some fruit trees would that encourage birds and insects to reduce crop infestation. Just a side thought.