I agree with some of the article, disagree with other parts.
* You can definitely get a very good undergraduate classroom education at virtually any university as the authors point out...but the in-class competition does not push you as much. I know this firsthand...undergrad at University of Cincinnati (great instruction), grad schools at Stanford. Big difference in the peer push angle. But also a big difference in graduates of some elite schools foolishly thinking thats all they ever needed. I think the overall point they are trying to make is fairly reasonable.
* The very best engineers we have hired have come from MIT, Princeton and the like. Purdue, Cal, UC Davis, Cal Poly and Georgia Tech also produce really great engineers and they are all far less expensive.
* I think the current system (as seen through my own kids eyes) very definitely favors a liberal arts education over what they call 'vocational training.' So I don't really agree with their observation. There is much more push to dive into the liberal arts than into engineering, architecture, etc... Even those degrees have far more liberal arts requirements with them than they used too. In my view, we are not coming close to producing enough people who invent, create and make things. We are not positioned well (technologically) to 'invent' the new 'green technologies' that so many desire. Other countries (ironically, the ones who are purported to be the biggest 'green abusers') are far more ready to create new technologies because they are educating a lot more engineers...or they're sending them here for us to educate.
* Star faculty members and their interests. Mostly agree with their observations on this.
* Government pouring too much money into research? Agree, maybe, sort of. I'd say its more about how they (we) pour it in. Congress writes a bill to spend a lot of money on XYZ. Government agency gets this gigantic glob of money for XYZ that they didn't necessarily ask for, but now they have to spend it...FAST! So they do...and a lot of it creates jobs, but doesn't produce sustainable jobs. This is happening, en masse right now with the stimulus bill of a year ago. Maybe a good idea? But an implementation that is not good, not good at all. Don't blame the educators (IMO), blame the politicians who are trying to garner votes at home for their 'good deeds.'
* Tenure? Mostly agree. My parents would have agreed too. Its an old system that needs an overhaul. I like the way my kids' HS does it (private school). First 2-4 years...you are being evaluated fairly closely. If you are kept beyond that, you get the benefit of the doubt...unless you hit a bad streak of a couple/few years. No formal tenure, a bit of stability given to you when you earn it, but no lifetime contract.
* Engineering degree in two years? Laughable. I'll assert that it takes about 5-6 years...to do it right.
* Take a year or two or three to think about what you want to do after college? OK, maybe in some cases...but as a rule? No. From my perspective, this thinking (clearly delivered at schools today) has delivered too many college graduates who think their first job is a playground...no need to produce...just sit and think and ponder 'what to do.' Yes, even the engineers are starting to be this way. My wife works at Cisco...they get people like this too...they don't last long. So maybe they should go work at Old Navy...but what skill does that provide for me to want to hire them? For Cisco or GoldmanSachs or whomever? I think what they propose is a big problem. A very big problem and I know a lot of employers who agree with me.
* Big college sports programs a problem? Lets see how that plays on here. No further comment.
* Schools with no grades, 'free thinking', etc..? Nonsense. My experience with my own kids' college educations that 'free thinking' means pushing a certain political agenda by the liberal arts professor. It doesn't really mean free thinking. It means thinking their way.
I guess I don't agree with much of this book/article now that I think about it. If your kid follows their advice, we won't be hiring you and thats ok (for both of us).
