What's Wrong With Graduate Education?

I just finished reading Mark Taylor's op-ed in the New York Times End the University as We Know It. It is well worth a read and I recommend checking it out.

He makes a compelling argument as to why graduate programs need to be seriously revised in order to help make them relevant to the modern world. I have to say that, by and large, I agree with his argument. I do, however, think that it is somewhat different when it comes to library programs, such as the one here at UW-Madison. The focus of our program is professional; it's objective is to produce competent and knowledgeable individuals practicing what they have learned in the field. In many other programs, though, it seems that there is a an over-abundance of supply to demand. One example to that springs to mind is someone I know with a PhD in English who works where I used to delivering library books. Now, there is nothing wrong with delivering books for a living. I did it for a 2.5 years. But it is not what he wants to do.

The more experience I get with the university the more I think that a few shakeups in the basic structure of education wouldn't hurt. And while library programs could probably be shaken up themselves, I think that many programs could learn something from us and the way we have adapted to current needs.