A little backstory is in order here. Most people who know me well (which is, admittedly, not a lot of people) know that I am always open to ideas for self improvement. I'd take an underwater Cyrillian basketweaving course if I thought it could somehow work out in the formula of making a better Gideon. So when our local college advertised that it was offering a web page design course for its second summer session, I was BEYOND excited. My excitement turned to dismay as I noted the time, which would conflict with my other (PAID) obligations.

Fast forward to last Thursday, when I was speaking with a fellow community theatre board member about the courses the college had to offer. He is also a professor at the college, which is trying to gain an image as a community college. As we were talking, he mentioned they were switching the time of the web page design course because many potential students had conflicts. I was now interested in the course, which begins next Monday. He introduced me to the instructor, and I got the paperwork I needed to fill out for the course. The offices at the college are closed Fridays, and yesterday was payday, which any working class American with bills to pay will tell you is a wash, especially when your daughter had a birthday the day before and is eagerly awaiting the delivery of her new bike. So today was the first day I could get back in with the paperwork.

I had questions. I was applying for a single course, and, yes, I had taken college courses before, but that was 12 years ago, and, due to an unpaid debt, I can't get my transcripts released. The dean was in the room and nixed the idea, saying that they had to have the college transcripts before I could enroll in any course. I explained that I was not enrolling in a degree seeking course, but in this single course, which I believe can be beneficial to me. He made the snide comment "and how many SINGLE courses have you taken here?" I replied that I had taken none, and that I would have begun the application process earlier, but I only found out last week that the course time was being changed. HE "allowed" an exemption just this once after I commented that it was my understanding that community colleges were supposed to offer greater flexibility for potential students in exactly my sort of predicament.

I have to wonder how many people have gotten stuck in the middle of bureaucracies like this and just given up? People who have wanted to continue their education but simply didn't want to meddle through the paperwork of past educational endeavours that, for whatever reason, were not wholly successful. If this is happening, it is entirely possible that the higher education system is putting up roadblocks that can prevent sincere students from self improvement. Because they've so successfully sold the idea of higher education, though, they can do whatever they want and there won't be a lot of people like me around to question them. It's a "seller's market" right now, frankly, and they know it.

It's possible that this very attitude may lead to the collapse of higher education. Already, successful businesspeople are beginning to question the validity of higher education. A recent article asking that very question appeared in Forbes magazine and was profiled by several talk show hosts, and at least one financial guru has questioned the fiscal sanity of such decisions. We're getting greater access to information when we understand how to filter through it, and, frankly, most of the skills and facts taught in a college classroom can be learned outside of it.

So I'm going to spend the rest of my week getting as many ducks in a row to attend this course, as well as preparing a presentation for our community's Economic Development Corporation, preparing for auditions for an upcoming play, and, of course, the never ending campaign. A busy week, made busier because of bureaucratic stupidity. I just hope the piece of paper I get out of this course is worth it.