The benefits of secrecy, Whitten concludes, are largely limited to a select few who take advantage of the information at their disposal but not available to others.

“The costs are borne by society, taxpayers who are denied an unobstructed view of activities carried out in their name and at their expense, by scholars kept from making the most of their careers, and by students and their parents, with limited information, who are forced to make life-path decisions about where the students should attend college.

 And secrecy affects academic institutions themselves through an accreditation process that reinforces a cycle of confidentiality at the expense of society.” 

 The Long Term View is published by the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover, Mass., a law school purposefully dedicated to the education of minorities, immigrants, and students from low- and middle-income families who would otherwise not have the opportunity to enter the legal profession. Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of MSL.  #

(Further information: Contact Jeff Demers at MSL at demers@mslaw.edu or Sherwood Ross, media consultant to MSL, at sherwoodr1@yahoo.com)

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