A little background. I did attend the U of I and I also was employed by the U of I. Ok, that said I'm going to talk about something else. I was employed for a large corporation where making huge, massive, yellow, self propelled....alright, Caterpillar, Inc.
At one time a Foreman at Caterpillar was likely someone who worked their way up to management from the labor side of the equation. Not anymore, unless just to get them in the door they are hired as blue collar but everyone knows it's just a matter of waiting for a spot to open up. And these people are all college educated, where not all that long ago that wasn't a requirement.
Now, just speaking from my own perspective, things have gone straight down the tubes there. And this way of hiring persons in management who have to deal with laborers who are specialists in operating obscure, nutty, expensive, touchy, temperamental, insane, undependable, brilliant and dangerous machines? I think it works much better when both sides speak the same language.
So. Obviously I'm not entirely sold on even a degree, let alone a lifetime in academia, being the greatest thing on earth in all situations. But I have a feeling, that when we are talking about running a University...having a solid academic background is probably a desirable thing. And I think, that is what the crowd at the town hall was trying to say.
