GEORGE LEEF: Burst The Higher Education Bubble.

During the bubble, colleges could get away with offering lots of courses that met a standard that former Indiana University English professor Murray Sperber characterizes as “the faculty/student nonaggression pact.” That is, the professor didn’t demand much of the students and gave high grades; in return, the students didn’t expect much from the professor, who wanted time for academic research projects.

The students were happy: Who complains about courses with high grades but little work? The professors were happy, and the administrators were happy because students getting good grades typically don’t gripe or, more important, drop out.

But courses in which students just go through the motions without learning anything are a waste of time and money.

The good news is that in the new higher-education world, courses like that will be jettisoned. Like dieters giving up doughnuts in favor of more nutritious, low-calorie foods, college consumers will look for affordable courses that lead to demonstrable educational gains.

One hopes.

UPDATE: A reader emails: “Sorry to burst anyone’s hopes, but I was (cautiously, indirectly) told by my department chair a few weeks ago to dumb down my courses so that the department doesn’t lose ‘market share.’ I’m ignoring the whole discussion. Please, no names if you wish to quote this.”