A troubling pattern is emerging across prestigious American universities. Institutions are quietly diluting academic rigor, not due to student excellence, but from a fear of demanding more. This shift, primarily impacting the so-called 'entitled' Generation Z, raises profound questions about the future value of a college degree.
The 'One Big Book' Phenomenon: When Reading Becomes a Semester-Long Task
Once, universities were arenas for intellectual stamina. Today, that expectation is being recalibrated downward. A stark example comes from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which offers a three-credit course named One Big Book That’s Worth It. The syllabus promises to guide students 'slowly and carefully' through a single lengthy text.
UNC is not an outlier. Smith College and the University of Pennsylvania run similar single-book seminars, focusing on works like Moby-Dick or Invisible Man. While these are serious literary pieces, they were traditionally part of a broader, demanding reading list. Contrast this with the past expectation at Columbia University, where core curriculum students tackled up to 150 pages per class per week. The implicit message now is that sustained attention is an extraordinary demand, not a basic requirement.
Remedial Basics in Elite Halls: Math at Harvard, Writing Fundamentals Elsewhere
The softening extends far beyond humanities. In a move that startled many, Harvard University recently introduced Math MA, a course designed to provide 'extra support' in high-school-level algebra, geometry, and quantitative reasoning. This is remedial math at an institution with an acceptance rate of around 4%. While framed as inclusivity, it prompts a critical question: what does 'elite' signify if admitted students lack foundational skills?
The situation is mirrored in writing proficiency. At Fairleigh Dickinson University, students can earn credit for Fundamentals of Writing, aimed at imparting 'college-level literacy.' The University of Nevada offers Preparatory Composition for those struggling with sentence structure. These are not advanced skills but prerequisites, leading to an uncomfortable inquiry: how did these students craft their admission essays, and how much of their current work is outsourced to AI?
A Redefined Baseline: When Remediation Becomes the Norm
Some institutions have taken a different route by eliminating standalone remedial classes. Not because the need vanished, but because it became too widespread. In 2018, the University of California system scrapped non-credit remedial courses. Instead, students could spread a semester's material over two terms while earning full credit. The City University of New York (CUNY) followed suit when remedial classes became overcrowded.
Data reveals the scale: when CUNY began phasing out remediation in 2016, a staggering 78% of incoming associate-degree students needed such coursework. This isn't the disappearance of a problem; it's the systematic redefinition of the academic baseline. As critic and former Duke professor Stuart Rojstaczer notes, while colleges have always graduated some disengaged students, the change is how openly systems are now designed around them.
The justifications often cite student anxiety, pandemic learning loss, and shrinking attention spans. However, a recent UC San Diego study found a 30-fold increase over five years in students unable to perform basic arithmetic—a sign of structural failure, not a temporary dip. Lowering standards doesn't fix this failure; it merely conceals it.
The Real-World Collision: What Are Universities Actually Preparing Students For?
The core purpose of college is being undermined. Higher education was meant to be demanding—a place to cultivate deep reading, clear writing, critical thinking, and resilience. By removing these demands, universities aren't protecting students; they are misleading them. The professional world does not offer 'slow and careful' guidance for single tasks. Employers demand results, not just effort. Deadlines are firm, and attention is assumed.
The looming question is: what happens when graduates from this softened academic environment enter a world that has not lowered its standards? The charge of entitlement often levelled at Gen Z may be misplaced. Entitlement isn't born; it's taught by institutions that reward minimal effort, cushion failure, and continuously redefine rigor downward. The real issue isn't why students struggle, but why colleges have become so unwilling to let them struggle, persevere, and ultimately grow.
