The Purpose of a University

Back when I did government work, there was a Syrian professional who was looking for opportunities in the United States. Part of his application required a copy of his college transcript, which had not been necessary in job seeking until then. Sadly, because of the aggression of the United States towards Syria, it seemed as though the United States had bombed his university, thereby destroying any records of his credentialing. When I asked my boss about why such hurdles were still necessary based on circumstances outside his control, I was told that while that was unfortunate, rules were rules. In 2024, in light of so many other factors, what is the purpose of a university?

Since the beginning of college culture in the United States, a university education seemed to be little more than gatekeeping opportunities for the working poor. Even though tuition was relatively low, it could be deemed blasphemous to devote 2-4 years to study rather than helping families in poorer conditions. Despite consistently refusing women, Black people, and Latinx people, said communities created learning opportunities based on the premise that college was a credential worth achieving. In the minds of many, going to college was the pinnacle of existence. Unfortunately, that mindset is what has made costs spiral out of control, and so many people have realized that universities have conned many when graduation still leads to job applications determined by algorithms and artificial intelligence.

Additionally, because so many wealthy people could afford to attend universities without getting extensive help from their families, many institutions catered primarily to the elite. Likely, there are still ridiculous statements made about people who deserve to attend despite needing several scholarships, especially since Black stupidity appears to be a universally-accepted truth. Many of the more “prestigious” schools are still networking to the corrupt dominant narrative, which means that even if someone works to graduate, everyone’s fate has been decided by whether or not someone is approached by a corrupt networker. Despite being a Yale legacy myself, I can assure you that even though I graduated in 2003, I did not attend the same Yale that Ron DeSantis and Jordana Brewster attended.

Furthermore, because so many businesses and major donors have built on college campuses and paid for studies, universities serve as an example of the destruction of objectivity. After all, if the oil and gas industry funds a study, would a university find anything other than a need for everyone to buy a car? Teaching students that “building cures homelessness” only increases revenue for highway contractors, and luxury/suburb developers. A perfect example of this is when the College Board–an agency responsible for college admissions–still claims that college education is useful. However, in an era when the U.S. News finally changed its formulas for college rankings, there is no proof that external factors do not decide the fate of students both in college and upon matriculation.

After leaving, it is unclear that universities relinquish control of their students, even though acquiring the credentials does little to make life bearable. Essentially, it seems that universities cannot compete with reality, so they cheat to suppress the very angst that their superiority complex creates. One of the most disgusting traits of the time after the George Floyd protests was the constant murals, forums, and reading groups. Simply put, all of it was ridiculously moronic and utterly clueless, depending on being “edgy” and “trendy” while doing nothing to enhance the lives of Black people. Moreover, others have pointed out that during those obnoxious forums and reading groups, affected people are expected to listen quietly while “experts” converse, even if “experts” do nothing more than gatekeep.

Ostensibly, the purpose of a university seems to be control. Even though so many people from younger generations were told that college was supposed to be their ticket to stability, its only purpose appears to be control. Most Congress members and older generations are still trying to push college onto everyone because indoctrination has become the goal, not the pursuit of knowledge. This is the main reason why employers are not paying students to get out of debt and Congress members and presidents will never push for substantial loan forgiveness. The gambling on student loans–similar to mortgages, car loans, and credit card debt–is nothing to ignore, either. Older people got greedy, and they only have one card left to play to control the younger generations: the inability to ever get completely out of debt. Desperate people agree to lower wages and harsher working conditions, and very few employers have anything to offer.

Now that more people are eschewing university life in favor of grinding themselves into the ground for selfish exploiters, universities are in a panic, and many are starting to see reduced student bodies. They cannot say that there is no worth to a university, but it goes deeper than self preservation. More student bodies and graduates transitioning from being majority white, and to say that there is no point to a liberal arts education means that it was nothing more than a barrier to maintain socioeconomic inequality. People might complain that students are focusing on cultural studies, but that is because history is in the process of being rewritten. After all, history is only repeated because the dominant narrative preserves its delusions, but if a more honest and nuanced history appears, that shatters the reigns of control and offers a chance for variation.

Some politicians and elders keep trying to push the idea of free universities. While the idea has some merit based on the need to correct society, at some point, even free is worthless if it demands further exploitation. Simply put, it is very difficult to produce the work needed for a university degree while trying to survive. From keeping students indebted for a lifetime based on lies their schools and parents told them, to an ever-rising cost of living enacted by insatiably greedy people, there now seems to be no purpose to a university other than to cause pain. Maybe continuing to believe the lies and spending so much money for subjugation should stop now, since there is no standardized benefit for doing so.