Professor Mark Shapiro (a.k.a. The Irascible Professor) often has insightful comments on the state of higher education. His most recent piece questions the prevalent idea that everyone needs a college degree in order to escape a life of poverty, and therefore what college must do is prepare students for jobs. He doesn’t buy those ideas, and comments that a large percentage of students in the Cal State system are unprepared for anything resembling true college studies.