Good as far as it goes

This from yesterday's Chronicle of Higher Education:

August 3, 2011
To Get at College 'Value,' Report Looks at Student Debt and Degree Completion Together

By Beckie Supiano

Graduation rates and student debt are two of the hottest topics in higher education, and both connect to the question of whether colleges provide a good value to their students. But completion and borrowing are often discussed separately, says Kevin Carey, and "only by looking at the two things in tandem do you get a complete picture of value." So Education Sector, the independent think tank where Mr. Carey works, decided to create a measure that attempts to do just that.
More: http://chronicle.com/article/To-Get-at-College-Value/128511/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Here's where to access the actual report:
http://www.educationsector.org/publications/debt-degree-new-way-measuring-college-success

This certainly is an improvement over assessing "learning outcomes," which is what the accrediting agencies want. But, as I have long argued --- http://www.todayscampus.com/articles/load.aspx?art=721 ---
we should be assessing graduates' achievements in the world of work. So what if my college is awarding lots of degrees? If the grads don't get good jobs, have productive and fulfilling careers, then this measurement is as meaningless as the "learning outcomes" one, which is dominant today..

*********************************************************************************************
Why My Dad Hates Ice Cream