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Is going to a physical college pointlessness? Even when safe to return, should all higher education just go online?
Answering "yes" greatly misunderstands the purpose of college.
Hint: it's not about classes.
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Answering "yes" greatly misunderstands the purpose of college.
Hint: it's not about classes.
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So what is the purpose of college for undergrad students?
Well, let's start with classes.
Well, let's start with classes.
As @profmusgrave describes so well in this piece, "on-line classes" and "in-person classes" are not perfect substitutes for one another. When both are done well, one is like listening to an album, while the other is like seeing a live concert. https://musgrave.substack.com/p/teaching-and-the-end-of-the-world?r=10tj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&utm_source=twitter
But to truly understand the value/purpose of classes to an undergrad, one should consider the purpose of a major.
Majors are not a "job license" of "major X leads to job Y".
Instead, a major (and why colleges offer a variety of majors) is a body of material aimed at holding a student's interest over a sustained amount of time.
Instead, a major (and why colleges offer a variety of majors) is a body of material aimed at holding a student's interest over a sustained amount of time.
Once you have sustained a student's interest (and, if necessary, taken time to develop foundational tools), then you can nuture their ability to craft and interrogate claims and arguments, communicate ideas (written or otherwise), and be equipped to think conceptually.
This point is wonderfully made by @beauflynn in an interview with @EdMylett. Beau describes how switching from a business major at @NYU to taking courses in the arts and sciences sparked his interest in film (~9min mark)
Critically, while some skills and techniques that a student learns are "job specific", how that skill is applied is wide ranging.
For example, while computer programming alone is pretty uninteresting 
, computer programming applied to international relations is super cool 
http://www.newgenesoftware.org/
, computer programming applied to international relations is super cool http://www.newgenesoftware.org/
So classes and majors are great, but let's be honest: classes are, at best, less than 50 percent of the value of going to college.
What are the other benefits? I'll use my experience as an undergrad at @miamiuniversity.
What are the other benefits? I'll use my experience as an undergrad at @miamiuniversity.
First, to be blunt, it's a chance to leave home and to do so in a "controlled environment"!
For me, once I arrived at @miamiuniversity my freshman year, I pretty much stayed on campus for 4 years (including summer).
For me, once I arrived at @miamiuniversity my freshman year, I pretty much stayed on campus for 4 years (including summer).
Second, you want students to meet folks with different backgrounds and life experiences.
Growing up in a small town with 63 kids in my high school graduating class, I had to immediately reset "what I knew."
Growing up in a small town with 63 kids in my high school graduating class, I had to immediately reset "what I knew."
One small example: I kept hearing kids mention "I came in with 12 AP credits" or "I took AP history", etc. I eventually turned to someone and asked, "um, what's AP?" 
Third, a big part of "learning" at a university is outside the classroom, which is why universities have so many organizations and employment opportunities.
For me, I draw daily on experiences from three years as a walk-on for @MiamiOHFootball (e.g. @UChicagoPoliSci grad students always hear me say "one day better" and "play the next play") and my time as a student manager for @MU_Conferences (two words: event. planning).
Fourth, colleges and universities create opportunities to become aware and gain experience in other lines of work (such as internships, which my wife worked each summer). @RachelConnoll14 powerfully made the point in this thread: https://twitter.com/RachelConnoll14/status/1284939170704764931
Fifth, yes, I met my wife in college. I believe the phrase is "Miami Merger"
Everything I wrote above is about the value of universities to undergrad students.
While undergrads are a critical part of the university, they are not the only part (not by a long shot).
While undergrads are a critical part of the university, they are not the only part (not by a long shot).
There are all of the research facilities & event/conference facilities. Indeed, I once heard someone say "universities are just real estate holding companies with classrooms"
There is the impact of universities on local communities and economies. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/28/us/coronavirus-college-towns.html
Oh, and universities are a key source of entertainment: https://twitter.com/ProfPaulPoast/status/1280330356974067712
Not to mention the benefits of going to a physical university for many faculty and staff who work at the university: https://twitter.com/ProfPaulPoast/status/1291034519416582146
It's for all of the above reasons that I 
at articles like this one https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/09/the-future-of-college/375071/
at articles like this one https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/09/the-future-of-college/375071/
In short, I find much of the discussion of the "future of higher education" (and the "future of work" in general) as missing a big point of these institutions.
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