I agree with you completely, Andy. Students have the right to fail, but we have the obligation to make sure they are well informed consumers; that they thoroughly understand the challenges and rewards that lie ahead.
I often hear from our Admission's Staff that there is no good time to enter college. If a student came to us with no money/home/life issues then why did they come? Often times we forget that our students want to make a change...that is why they came to us to begin with.
I believe that all students should have the opportunity to succeed and to have the chance for change. We do not have to degrade quality for quantity if we have a strong mentoring/tutoring program, etc for those students who do not excel in the classroom. We need to ask ourselves, can they (students) benefit from our training. If they can then we need to give them the opportunity to do so realizing that not all will make it.
This is a fundamental question that greatly affects an institution's culture and identity, Michele, and there probably isn't one right answer. Each institution has to make that determination based on its particular circumstances. Of course, there isn't any easy way to pre-qualify students. Some of the “best†students drop out while those that weren't given much of a chance thrive.
I believe each student has the right to fail. If they satisfy the entrance requirements and have all the information they need to make an informed decision and understand the challenges they will face, then the choice is theirs.
