Graduate School USA

Perhaps three years ago, I considered taking Spanish-language courses at what I thought of as the USDA Graduate School. My recollection is that the offerings looked good, the prices were reasonable, and that I couldn't quite make the schedule work: the classes were offered near L'Enfant Plaza, a bit too far from work. I thought of the USDA Graduate School when someone asked about Spanish-language courses today.

The USDA Graduate School is now Graduate School USA, a renaming that I must have noticed and forgotten. The list of courses is much shorter, the areas of study much more focused on programs suited to the world of the federal government and its contractors, fourteen areas of study in all. To judge by the Information Technology courses listed, the courses are narrowly focused: in this case on Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, and Microsoft Word. The Microsoft Office programs are ubiquitous and powerful; but they make up a fairly small part of the information technology one might be called on to use.

Perhaps the old system was unprofitable, though I doubt the instructors made much more than would cover their commuting. Still, I think it a shame to see an old, ambitious catalogue with courses ranging from Arabic to Zoology so paired down. On the other hand, I wasn't keeping it in business, was I?