College enrollment is still on a steady incline.

So is tuition.

And so is the number of young people entering the workforce each year wielding undergraduate degrees from...

... anywhere. Sure, a degree from Harvard means more than a degree from Podunk State, but the amount of money invested in a Harvard degree is also much higher.

Ultimately, a degree is a degree is a degree. Now (or maybe for a few generations; we're not old enough to know) college is merely the next step out of high school. It is expected that a student will enter a college or university straight from high school.

And, four or five years later, it is expected that student will emerge from a tunnel in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium behind a sign denoting his or her new area of expertise -- prim and primed to enter the job market.

But "prepared to enter the job market" and "college graduate" probably aren't synonymous -- a cynical statement more and more employers are realizing to their dismay.

As a result, steps need to be taken to push administrators, instructors and students in the right direction, especially if college has become the "next" and "final" step.

OU's expository writing program is one progressive attempt, as writing aptitude has plummeted among college graduates.

But too often, at this campus and (surely) others, money is pumped into athletics, fancy technology and even fancier buildings before libraries, faculty or internship programs see the massive increases in funding they need.

College is not for everyone, and people should avoid making the dangerous and discriminatory connection that one must have a college education to be educated.

For those who choose to attend college, however, it would be quite beneficial if the superfluous theatrics of universities just flat stopped. Endowed chairs do not motivate students. DVD players do not improve GRE performance. And learn.ou.edu has not taught a single student how to punctuate a compound sentence, articulate an argument or be competent in the skills needed to succeed once the "final step" ends.
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