What Makes a "Good College" — and Why It Matters | Cecilia M. Orphan | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Because I'm a college professor,

因為我是大學教授，

I'm going to start with a pop quiz.

我要從一個小考開始。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I want you to think of the best college in the country,

請各位想著全國最好的大學，

one that you would absolutely love to get into.

你絕對會想要去就讀的大學，

One that would change your life completely.

能完全改變你人生的大學。

OK, do you have it?

想好了嗎？

I'm guessing if I went to the audience right now

我猜如果我現在走到觀眾席上，

and asked 100 different people which college they chose,

詢問一百個不同的人

他們選了哪所大學，

I'd hear the same names over and over and over again.

我會不斷重複聽到同樣的名稱。

And that's because we have a huge problem in higher education.

這是因為我們的高等教育 有個很大的問題。

We say we want colleges to be more equitable,

我們說我們希望大學更公平、

more transformational,

更能帶來轉變、

more accessible.

更容易進入。

But we tend to obsess over a tiny group of colleges

但我們卻傾向過度迷戀 一小部分大學，

most of us could never get into.

多數人永遠無法進入的大學。

And it's not because we aren't smart enough.

並不是因為我們不夠聰明，

It's because there isn't enough space for all of us.

而是因為沒有足夠的空間給所有人。

These schools intentionally cap the number of students that they accept.

這些學校會刻意限制 它們錄取的學生數目。

It's why Akil Bello, an advocate for fairness in college admissions,

這就是為什麼阿奇爾‧貝羅， 大學入學公平性的推動者，

calls them something else.

用其他的名稱稱呼它們。

They're not prestigious universities.

它們不是有名望的大學，

They're highly rejective colleges.

它們是高拒絕性大學。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Places like Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, MIT.

比如哈佛、史丹佛、耶魯、

普林斯頓、麻省理工學院。

And I'm not saying these schools are bad.

我不是說這些學校不好。

They're obviously major research institutions.

很顯然它們都是重要的研究機構。

But our cultural obsession

但我們的文化是迷戀

with a limited group of highly rejective colleges

一小部分高拒絕性大學，

has major consequences.

這現象帶來重大的後果。

I'm the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college.

我是我家中第一個從大學畢業的人。

(Cheers and applause)

（歡呼聲及掌聲）

And Portland State University,

波特蘭州立大學，

a regional public university in Portland, Oregon,

位在奧勒崗州波特蘭的 區域性公立大學，

truly changed my life.

真的改變了我的人生。

(Cheers and applause)

（歡呼聲及掌聲）

But for a long time,

但，有很長一段時間，

when someone at a networking event asked me where I went to college,

當有人在社交聚會上 問我讀什麼大學時，

I worried that they'd judge my intellect

我會擔心他們會根據我的答案

and my aspirations when I answered.

來評斷我的智力和我的抱負。

Now I research higher education

現在我研究的是高等教育，

to understand how our perceptions of which colleges are good

我想了解我們對於 哪些大學比較好的觀感如何

shape important decisions we make about which schools to fund,

形塑我們的重要決策， 比如要資助哪些學校、

donate to, attend, and send our children to.

要捐款給哪些學校、要就讀 或送我們的孩子去哪些學校。

Regional public universities, or RPUs for short,

區域性公立大學，簡稱 RPU,

are the exact opposite of highly rejective colleges.

它們和高拒絕性大學恰恰相反。

You can spot them because their name tells you which communities they serve.

從它們的名字就可以 看出它們服務哪個社區。

Western Colorado University,

西科羅拉多大學、

Northern Kentucky University,

北肯塔基大學、

Eastern Washington University.

東華盛頓大學。

In New York, they're the SUNY and the CUNY schools.

在紐約則是紐約州立大學 和紐約市立大學。

In California, they're the 23 CSU campuses.

在加州則是二十三個 加州州立大學校區。

They’re called “normal schools” in China,

在中國叫做「師範大學」，

“Fachschule” in Germany

在德國稱為「專業學校」，

and “provincial colleges” in Canada and Italy.

在加拿大和義大利 則是「省級學院」。

These are the universities that train the nurses

是這些學校訓練出護理師，

who take care of you when you go to the hospital,

在你去醫院時照顧你；

the school teachers who educate your children

訓練出教育你孩子的學校老師；

and the small business leaders that create jobs in your home town.

以及在你家鄉創造 工作機會的小型企業領導者。

Regional public universities, or RPUs, pride themselves on accepting everyone

區域性公立大學（RPU）

以接受每個申請者為榮，

or almost everyone who applies.

或幾乎只要申請就能錄取。

And RPU students are more likely to be first generation college students

RPU 的學生通常都是 像我這種第一代大學生、

like I was,

students of color, low-income students,

有色人種學生、低收入戶學生、

退伍軍人，以及在工作和家庭中 尋找平衡還要去上學的成人。

veterans and adults balancing work and family while going to school.

And RPU students often don't have the test scores required

RPU 學生通常達不到

進入那些高拒絕性大學 所需要的成績標準。

to get into a highly rejective college.

Not because they aren't capable,

不是因為他們能力不足，

but because they weren't given the same advantages as other students.

而是因為他們沒有 和其他學生相同的優勢。

My mother was a brilliant woman who had an eighth-grade education,

我母親是個很出色的女性，

教育程度只到八年級，

and she died when she was just 43 years old

她四十三歲時就過世了，

of a totally preventable asthma attack

死因是完全可以避免的氣喘發作，

because she lived in a rural, remote community

因為她住在鄉村偏遠的社區，

and lacked access to health care.

無法取得健康照護。

I grew up in poverty

我的成長過程很貧窮，

and my test scores were lower

我的成績很差，

because I prepared for the SATs by showing up on test day

因為我準備 SAT 考試的方式 是在考試當天出席，

with a sharpened number-two pencil and a calculator,

帶著一枝削尖的二號鉛筆 和一台計算機，

rather than taking expensive test prep courses.

而不是參加昂貴的補習課程。

People sometimes talk about regional public universities in negative ways

有時大家會把區域性 公立大學講得很負面，

by calling some “the 13th grade”

把其中一些稱為「十三年級」，

or saying, “anyone can get in,” as if that’s a bad thing.

或說「誰都能就讀」， 說得好像這是壞事一樣，

Or saying they're not real universities.

或說它們不是真的大學。

But shouldn't colleges be judged by how many people they include

但評斷大學的標準不是應該

是它們接納了多少人，

and raise to the same level of academic excellence

並協助他們提升到相同的學術水平，

rather than by how many people they exclude?

而不是排除了多少人嗎？

By how well they address the pressing challenges

根據它們如何處理當地社區面臨的

facing their local communities?

迫切難題來評斷？

Take Adams State University in southern rural Colorado.

以位在科羅拉多州南部鄉村的 亞當斯州立大學為例。

Thirty-eight percent of the university’s students are Latinx

該大學的學生有 38% 是拉丁裔，

and half are first in their families to go to college.

半數是家中第一個上大學的人。

This is Colorado's most affordable university,

這是科羅拉多州最平價的大學，

and it's one of just a few in the entire country

全國只有它和少數幾間大學

to offer graduate degrees to students who are currently incarcerated

提供研究所學位給正在監禁中的人，

and working to change their lives.

讓他們能努力改變他們的人生。

It contributes 83.5 million dollars each year to the local economy.

每年，它對當地經濟的貢獻

是八千三百五十萬美金。

Regional public universities like Adams State University

像亞當斯州立大學 這種區域性公立大學

generate more upward mobility than any other type of college.

產生的向上動能，比任何 其他類型的大學都還要高。

But you'll never find it

但你永遠不會看到它

on a list of America's most prestigious universities.

出現在美國最有名望的大學清單上。

And it doesn't get the funding it deserves.

它也沒有得到它應得的資金。

Ironically, the colleges that already have the largest endowments

諷刺的是，

已經擁有最多資助的大學

tend to receive the biggest charitable donations.

通常會收到最多慈善捐贈。

Recently, Michael Bloomberg gave Johns Hopkins University

最近，麥可‧彭博

給了約翰‧霍普金斯大學

a donation of 1.8 billion dollars.

十八億美金的捐款。

And this is an incredibly generous gift.

這份禮物實在太慷慨。

But before the donation,

但在他捐款之前，

Johns Hopkins had an endowment of 3.8 billion dollars,

約翰‧霍普金斯大學就已經 得到三十八億美金的資助，

and it rejects 89 percent of all students who apply.

且申請進入該校的學生 有 89% 被拒絕了。

By contrast, Adams State University,

相對的，

亞當斯州立大學

which prides itself by accepting the top 99 percent of students,

以接受前 99% 的申請者為榮，

has an endowment of just 63,000 dollars.

但只得到六萬三千美金的資助。

Not million, not billion,

不是百萬，不是十億，

63,000 dollars.

六萬三千美金。

Shockingly low.

低得驚人。

Now, Johns Hopkins produces vital research.

約翰‧霍普金斯大學 做的研究十分重要。

But let's imagine, if Michael Bloomberg had spread that donation

但咱們想像一下，如果麥可‧彭博

把那筆捐款分給 全國四百三十間 RPU，

across the 430 RPUs in the country,

each would have received four million dollars.

每一間就能得到四百萬美金。

再想像一下你的淨值從六萬三千美金

Now imagine if your net worth went from being 63,000 dollars

to four million dollars.

變成四百萬美金。

Your life would be pretty different, wouldn't it?

你的人生會有很大的不同，對吧？

Unfortunately, the government only makes this issue worse.

不幸的是，政府只讓 這個問題變得更糟。

In the United States and throughout the world,

在美國及世界各地，

far more public funding goes to highly rejective colleges

流向高拒絕性大學的公家資金遠多於

than to regional public universities.

區域性公立大學。

Because of this, RPUs have become more expensive,

基於這個原因，

RPU 變得更昂貴，

which hurts low-income students

這會影響到低收入學生，

and has caused student loan debt to skyrocket.

導致學生貸款債務急劇上升。

If I were 18 years old right now,

如果我現在十八歲，

I honestly don’t know if I could afford to go to college

我真的不知道我能不能 負擔得起上大學，

given how much tuition has increased

因為學費已經上漲太多，

and how little public funding has kept up.

而公家提供的資金卻幾乎跟不上。

If we really want more low-income students to go to college,

如果我們真的想讓更多 低收入學生上大學，

if we really want equity in higher education,

如果我們真的想讓 高等教育能夠公平，

we need to put our money where our mouth is

我們得要言行一致，

and fund regional public universities.

去資助區域性公立大學。

Now, many of us have been on the receiving end

我們許多人都曾經 接到過校友會的來電，

of calls from our alumni association,

我接到電話時，我畢業證書 上面的墨水都還沒乾呢。

and I don't think the ink was dry on my diploma when my phone rang.

For my generous friends who may have gone to a highly rejective college,

致我慷慨的朋友們，

曾上過高拒絕性大學的那些， 別擔心，我沒有在不爽你——

and don't worry, I'm not mad at you --

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But instead of giving to your alma mater,

但與其捐贈給你那可能 已經很富有的母校，

which is probably already very wealthy,

consider giving it to the colleges that really need it.

不如考慮看看，改捐贈給 真正有需要的大學，

To the RPUs that truly serve their communities.

給真正在服務其所屬社區的 RPU。

Last year, billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

去年，億萬富翁慈善家 麥肯琪‧史考特

gave 1.5 billion dollars to 73 different colleges and universities

把十五億美金捐給

七十三間不同的大學，

that serve low-income students

都是服務低收入學生

and students of color.

及有色人種學生的大學。

Xavier University of Louisiana,

路易斯安那州的澤維爾大學，

maybe not a household name,

也許不是家喻戶曉的名字，

but did you know that they send more Black graduates to medical school

但你可知道他們送上 醫學院的黑人研究生多於

than any other college in the country?

全國所有其他大學？

She gave them 20 million dollars.

她捐給他們兩千萬美金。

And guess what?

猜猜如何？

That was the largest gift they had ever received.

那是他們收過最高額的贈禮。

And that was true for most of the schools on her list.

她的贈予清單上的 大部分學校都是如此。

Places like Long Beach City College,

比如長灘市立學院、

the University of Central Florida,

中佛羅里達大學、

CSU Northridge.

加州州立北嶺縣立大學。

Many of these schools are regional public universities

清單上的學校有很多 都是區域性公立大學，

that so rarely get large donations that her gift was transformative.

它們幾乎得不到高額的損款，

因此她的贈禮能帶來改變。

There's no better way to make a difference in higher education

要在高等教育中 做出改變，最好的方式

than to give to the colleges

就是去資助這些大學，

that change the lives of their students and communities.

協助它們改變其學生 以及其所在社區的生活。

But this isn't all about money.

但這不只是錢的問題。

We all have the power

我們都有力量

to change the way we think about

去改變我們如何看待

and talk about regional public universities,

和談論區域性公立大學，

or stop people when they frame them in negative ways.

或者在有人用負面方式描述 這些大學時去阻止他們。

So when you hear someone saying,

當你聽到有人說：「喔， 誰都能進那間學校。」

"Oh, anyone can get into that school,"

push them on why that's a bad thing.

要求他們解釋為什麼那是不好的事。

You don't have to be rude about it.

你不需要表現得很無禮。

You could just say,

你可以只是說：「哇，太棒了，

"Wow, that's amazing

that that school gives so many people the opportunity to go to college."

那間學校給了這麼多人

上大學的機會。」

I'm living proof

我是個活生生的證據，

that no matter where you were born

證明不論你在哪裡出生，

or how much money your parents have,

或者你的父母有多少錢，

you should have the opportunity to go to a college

你都應該有機會上大學，

that supports your growth

能支持你成長， 並讓你懷有夢想的大學。

and fosters your dreams.

When we change the way we define prestige

當我們改變我們對於 「有名望」的定義，

and fund regional public universities,

並資助區域性公立大學，

we will make higher education equitable once and for all.

我們就能讓高等教育 變公平，一勞永逸。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Cheers and applause)

（歡呼聲與掌聲）