The Class of 2012 Strides to the Market, Ready or Not

Bret Stephens’s “To the Class of 2012” (Global View, May 8) criticizes students for their lack of preparedness for the workplace. And he’s right. But even more blameworthy are the adults on campus, who have failed to point students to what they need to know and be able to do. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni’s research shows that only 5% of colleges require their students to take even a basic economics class. Just 20% require a single foundational course in American history or government. Meanwhile, studies show that academic standards and expectations—in terms of assigned reading and writing—continue to decline. It’s no wonder that many graduates are having trouble finding that first job, and that our country is faced with a generation of students buried in debt and without the college-level skills to climb out of it. It’s time parents, policymakers and the public held college and university trustees accountable, demanding that they ensure a quality education at an affordable cost.