Fresh off the start of her first fall semester, Cal State Long Beach (CSULB)’s newest president, Jane Conoley, is taking to online forums to address what she feels are pertinent issues in contemporary higher education—specifically the idea of elitism.
In an open online address, Conoley posed the question, “What is elite?” with answers ranging from the word’s etymological roots—it is derived from Middle English, according to Conoley, and denotes someone who has been elected—to its purpose in higher education.
“Being chosen seems more important to me than just being lucky in who your parents are,” Conoley wrote. “What about universities? What makes them elite? Many applicants? Ninety-five percent rejection rates? Accepting only the highest-scoring students? Charging the most tuition? Producing the most funded research? Amassing the biggest endowment? Offering many doctoral programs? Large numbers of faculty publications?”
Her response is one that staunchly defends public institutions like CSULB, noting that the rejection of students who lack preparedness or a professor’s ability to access grants rather than teach well are automatically deemed “great” despite their obvious downfalls.
“I wonder if this approach is similar to our human propensity to value what is scarce—gold, diamonds, or a freshman spot at an Ivy League school,” she continued. “How rational is it that our fascination with the rare should serve as the basis for a projection of elite value?”
Even more intriguing about Conoley’s approach is that she is not the only one standing at the pulpit (nor defending CSULB’s value). She then opens the question up to students, aculty, staff, alumni and parents—and posted some of her favorite responses.
Perhaps one of her favorite responses says it all: “While you raise some good points, I have to ask, why try to be elite at all?”
Your move, Madam President.