Minerva Schools at KGI
The Minerva Schools at KGI intends to build a “perfect university”; however, they plan to do it with their own blueprint. Minerva has no athletic teams, fitness centers, nor introductory classes. The founders of Minerva view these things as a misallocation of its students’ financial resources. Instead, Minerva aims to equip its students with the ability to think critically, communicate effectively, and interact well with others. But isn’t this something that any reputable school claims to do? The difference at Minerva is that its students have no choice but to develop these qualities. Minerva believes that it is not only par, but better than the Ivy League, Stanford, Oxford, and any other renowned institution. At these schools the students may be brilliant, but they may not be reaching their full potential because they are not being forced to develop the qualities that Minerva holds with such high regard. At the Minerva Schools classes are limited to 19 students, and they are evaluated on two things: the effectiveness of their thinking and the frequency of their participation. There are no exams at Minerva, for those simply ask a student to recall what they already know, or are supposed to know.
For some people, Minerva’s streamlined approach to education may deter them from even applying. Potential students may see Minerva as a place where they cannot fulfill their goals whether it be due to the small student body, lack of research opportunities, or lack of extracurricular activities. Yet, Minerva’s founder, Ben Nelson, has a refutation for these people, do those things elsewhere and gain experience in the real world. Minerva seems to forcibly engender ingenuity and innovation in its students. Minerva allows its students to grow on their own.
The inception of Minerva further complicates people’s decision as to where they want to attend school. This is where game theory comes in to play. Minerva is an appealing option for aspiring students because it is relatively inexpensive compared to its competitors with annual fees of about $28,000 rather than $65,000. However, Minerva is still a for profit institution with its own agenda to advance. Minerva is a company that aspires to profit, it is not charity. Nelson has made this clear as he entertained the idea of licensing his school’s curriculum. Beyond the monetary game that exists between student and institution, there exists the game of advancing one’s reputation, both students and institutions want to enhance their reputation. This gives rise to an interesting situation where the strategies of the student and the institution will actually compliment one another in order to receive the same payoff, an enhanced reputation.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/San-Francisco-s-Minerva-Perfect-6465502.php