Author Profile

T. Norman Van Cott

T. Norman Van Cott received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1969. Before joining Ball State University in 1977, he taught at the University of New Mexico (1968-1972) and West Georgia College (1972-1977). He was chairperson of the economics department at Ball State University from 1985 to 1998. His fields of interest revolve around issues in public finance and international economics. His more recent professional publications have appeared in the Journal of Legal Studies, the Independent Review, Econ Journal Watch, Constitutional Political Economy, and Economic Inquiry.

Articles by T. Norman Van Cott

How Our University Reacted to an Exposé of its Grade Inflation Problem

Sep 9, 2016 · and · Comments Off on How Our University Reacted to an Exposé of its Grade Inflation Problem

In a 2011 Pope Center article entitled “Too Many Rhinestones,” Professors T. Norman Van Cott and the late Clarence Deitsch examined Ball State University’s (BSU) grade inflation problem. After comparing grade distributions and grade point averages (GPAs) from Fall 1990 and Fall 2009 in principles-level courses, they found that BSU was no exception to the … Continue reading “How Our University Reacted to an Exposé of its Grade Inflation Problem”

Mind the Quality Gap

Feb 20, 2012 · · Comments Off on Mind the Quality Gap

Greatly different results between an honors section and a regular section raise questions about continually expanding enrollment.

Exporting and Importing at the University

Nov 30, 2007 · · Comments Off on Exporting and Importing at the University

T. Norman Van Cott is a professor of economics at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.

I’ve been an economics professor at public universities for going on 40 years, the last 30 at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. In the parlance of economics, this means I’ve been a long-time “exporter” of economics knowledge. Those paying my salary –students, parents, and taxpayers — have been “importers.” Students and parents import voluntarily. Taxpayers less than voluntarily.

Considerable effort goes into these exports. Noble and self-sacrificing on my part? Hardly. Rather, economics exports are a means to an end for me, a self-serving end no less. To wit, my exports enable me to buy — that is, import — things produced by others. An amazing array of things. Things ranging from life-sustaining necessities to frivolous amenities (including leisure activities). Far more of these things, in fact, than I ever could ever obtain were I producing them myself. The bottom line is that I export in order to import.