Another Liberal Arts Critic

Kevin Kiley:

North Carolinians might have seen this coming when they elected Patrick McCrory governor in November. He's a Republican and the second half of his name is "Rick," and these days -- with Rick Scott in Florida and Rick Perry in Texas -- that tends to mean criticism of the liberal arts and flagship universities.

On a national radio program Tuesday morning, McCrory, who goes by Pat, said he would push legislation to base funding for the state's public colleges and universities on post-graduate employment rather than enrollment.
"I'm looking at legislation right now - in fact, I just instructed my staff yesterday to go ahead and develop legislation - which would change the basic formula in how education money is given out to our universities and our community colleges," McCrory told radio host Bill Bennett, who was education secretary under President Reagan. "It's not based on butts in seats but on how many of those butts can get jobs."

The Republican governor also called into question the value of publicly supporting liberal arts majors after the host made a joke about gender studies courses at UNC-Chapel Hill. "If you want to take gender studies that's fine, go to a private school and take it," McCrory told the radio host. "But I don't want to subsidize that if that's not going to get someone a job."

Posted by Jim Zellmer at February 1, 2013 1:06 AM
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