Propaganda for Mediocrity

Some of the people who ought to be the guardians of academic attainment have become, in fact, not only apologists for the destruction of standards in college and university, but positive evangelists of mediocrity. Such is the general policy of an organization called the “Joint Office of Institutional Research,” situated in the city of Washington.

Despite this pretentious scientific title, the “Joint Office” is a propaganda bureau for the Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and the State Universities Association. Some of the more respectable universities belonging to these societies must be embarrassed, from time to time, by the anti-intellectual tone of the Joint Office’s bulletins.

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Russell Kirk

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Some of the people who ought to be the guardians of academic attainment have become, in fact, not only apologists for the destruction of standards in college and university, but positive evangelists of mediocrity. Such is the general policy of an organization called the “Joint Office of Institutional Research,” situated in the city of Washington.

Despite this pretentious scientific title, the “Joint Office” is a propaganda bureau for the Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and the State Universities Association. Some of the more respectable universities belonging to these societies must be embarrassed, from time to time, by the anti-intellectual tone of the Joint Office’s bulletins.