Introduction – General Motivation Issues in American Undergraduate Education:
             One of the unanticipated consequences of dramatically increased enrollment in
             college-level education in the last half of the 20th century is the dilution of its value as a
             bona fide credential. In the 1950s and 60s, college degrees provided relatively reliable
             assurance that a prospective employee had already demonstrated a focused dedication to
             pursuing a specific career in an area of academic interest or personal aptitude (Mills
             1953). By the end of the century, advanced education had become extremely accessible
             and high school graduation alone became the primary criteria required for admissions
             into many institutions of higher education.
             Lower academic standards for admission eventually changed the academic profile
             and, eventually resulted in a tremendous change in the fundamental attitude of many
             university and college students toward their studies as well as in their general degree of
             motivation. Specifically, many more American students now enroll in undergraduate
             studies without any academic interest in any particular course of study. Whereas the
             American student of earlier generations generally entered higher education with a very
             purposeful goal of acquiring a specific degree necessary to pursue a definite career track,
             (Stanley & Danko1998) contemporary American college students more often have no
             particular academic interest (or no idea what career they hope to pursue); they seek a
             "sheepskin" for the general purpose of not being excluded from potential entry positions
             that specify "four-year degree required" (Stanley & Danko1998).
             In that respect, employers are partly to blame for elevating the practical need for a
             "four-year degree" instead of a degree in a specific academic area of some relation and
             relevance to business functions. On th...