What are you thinking they should be more accountable about? I'm confused. I've had three hit rough patches in college, but my take on it when I finally found out was, this is between you and me, not between me and the college. You're an adult.
I don't look to Tom Wolfe for lessons in reality. There is a whole world of people out there who are "off the bus". Those who read Wolfe might just look for a better seat.
Are you talking about accountability to students or to parents? I know that colleges try to isolate parents using helicopter anecdotes. Is that the message you got on Parents Day? Did they spell it out? Back when I taught college math and CS, I had to be able to justify all of my grades to students AND parents. It happened.
At best, the separation helps students become adults. At worst, it forms a cult-like disconnect from one's family. Then again, at the place where I taught, many students went home on the weekends. So much for the "college experience".
Was that supposed to be a link to something? I'd love to slag colleges for no particular reason, but it'd be more fun if there were something interesting there.
Ooh, and let's slag Tom Wolfe while we're at it. Who needs to read his books to criticize them? Him and the rest of those dirty hippies should just get haircuts.
I am now extremely cynical about the influx of foreign students to U.S. colleges.
When you go on your college tours, and the tour guide regales you with statistics about the huge numbers of foreign students attending the college, a big red blinking question mark should pop into your mind's eye.
Back when I taught college math and CS, I had to be able to justify all of my grades to students AND parents.
wow
This reminds me: C. has a writing T.A. (an undergraduate, I think, which means he's being graded by another student just one or two years older than he) who has told the students they are never to use passive voice.
Or 'be' verbs. Don't use 'be' verbs. That's the rule. The path to good writing wends through the land of the Banished Copula.
Passive voice, of course, is essential to good writing; pv is a critical component of cohesion.
Ed and I are both published writers, I teach writing, and Ed is on the faculty of the university C. is attending ... but nobody's going to be justifying his or her views on use of pv - or his or her grading of composition - to us.
Was that supposed to be a link to something? I'd love to slag colleges for no particular reason, but it'd be more fun if there were something interesting there.
You're not exactly innocent of slagging either, are you?
"Instead it was 5 hours of Initiatives, Global this that and the other, 21st century, etc."
You have to make a distinction between what the administrators say and what the professors say as representatives of their departments. On one hand, I just got in the mail something from the College of Engineering of U of Michigan where the dean talks about 21st century, online, blah, blah, woof, woof, whereas some of my old professors tell me that they go out of their way (as department policy) to help students survive their classes; which, for the most part, are traditional lecture classes.
I agree with Allison about I Am Charlotte Simmons. It's a horror story if there ever was one. The funny thing is that a lot of that crap was going on when I was in school. And that was the 70's.
I believe Wolfe's daughter was going to Duke at the time. The school is supposed to be some hybrid of the Ivies, with Duke thrown in, or something like that.
I Am Charlotte Simmons really drives home the point that you may not be handing your child over to the fine institution you think you are.
Absolutely.
ReplyDeleteI found that colleges I dealt with were wiling to have their people lie directly to your face.
ReplyDeleteFERPA is a law with terrible unintended consequences.
Has C. read "I am Charlotte Simmons" yet? Have you?
ReplyDeleteEverything in the book is correct. Everything. There are several lessons in it for a young man.
What are you thinking they should be more accountable about? I'm confused. I've had three hit rough patches in college, but my take on it when I finally found out was, this is between you and me, not between me and the college. You're an adult.
ReplyDeleteI don't look to Tom Wolfe for lessons in reality. There is a whole world of people out there who are "off the bus". Those who read Wolfe might just look for a better seat.
ReplyDeleteAre you talking about accountability to students or to parents? I know that colleges try to isolate parents using helicopter anecdotes. Is that the message you got on Parents Day? Did they spell it out? Back when I taught college math and CS, I had to be able to justify all of my grades to students AND parents. It happened.
ReplyDeleteAt best, the separation helps students become adults. At worst, it forms a cult-like disconnect from one's family. Then again, at the place where I taught, many students went home on the weekends. So much for the "college experience".
Accountable to who exactly?
ReplyDeleteWas that supposed to be a link to something? I'd love to slag colleges for no particular reason, but it'd be more fun if there were something interesting there.
ReplyDeleteOoh, and let's slag Tom Wolfe while we're at it. Who needs to read his books to criticize them? Him and the rest of those dirty hippies should just get haircuts.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteI don't know what you have against Wolfe, but it is the most accurate description of college life for young people anywhere to be found.
i found it too painful to read except in small doses, because it was so true.
Bonfire of the Vanities was prescient, to say the least.
I actually wrote a real post -- i.e. a post with details -- and then thought better of it. So this is the post I put up.
ReplyDeleteI'm referring entirely to accountability for results. Is what you're doing working?
I'll give into temptation and say this.
ReplyDeleteWe spent approximately 5 hours listening to administrators (all administrators, not one professor) talk about the university.
The word "knowledge" was not mentioned once.
Not even once.
Instead it was 5 hours of Initiatives, Global this that and the other, 21st century, etc.
I am now extremely cynical about the influx of foreign students to U.S. colleges.
ReplyDeleteWhen you go on your college tours, and the tour guide regales you with statistics about the huge numbers of foreign students attending the college, a big red blinking question mark should pop into your mind's eye.
Just saying.
The one good thing: parents seemed to be in no mood.
ReplyDeleteAccountable to who exactly?
ReplyDeleteAccountable to people spending 60K a year to send their kids to the school.
I think the only school on the planet that treats parents as customers --- valued customers --- may be Morningside Academy.
(I'm sure that's an exaggeration, but still....)
Back when I taught college math and CS, I had to be able to justify all of my grades to students AND parents.
ReplyDeletewow
This reminds me: C. has a writing T.A. (an undergraduate, I think, which means he's being graded by another student just one or two years older than he) who has told the students they are never to use passive voice.
Or 'be' verbs. Don't use 'be' verbs. That's the rule. The path to good writing wends through the land of the Banished Copula.
Passive voice, of course, is essential to good writing; pv is a critical component of cohesion.
Ed and I are both published writers, I teach writing, and Ed is on the faculty of the university C. is attending ... but nobody's going to be justifying his or her views on use of pv - or his or her grading of composition - to us.
Was that supposed to be a link to something? I'd love to slag colleges for no particular reason, but it'd be more fun if there were something interesting there.
ReplyDeleteYou're not exactly innocent of slagging either, are you?
"Instead it was 5 hours of Initiatives, Global this that and the other, 21st century, etc."
ReplyDeleteYou have to make a distinction between what the administrators say and what the professors say as representatives of their departments. On one hand, I just got in the mail something from the College of Engineering of U of Michigan where the dean talks about 21st century, online, blah, blah, woof, woof, whereas some of my old professors tell me that they go out of their way (as department policy) to help students survive their classes; which, for the most part, are traditional lecture classes.
The parents were in no mood for what? No mood to swallow the blather?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allison about I Am Charlotte Simmons. It's a horror story if there ever was one. The funny thing is that a lot of that crap was going on when I was in school. And that was the 70's.
ReplyDeleteI believe Wolfe's daughter was going to Duke at the time. The school is supposed to be some hybrid of the Ivies, with Duke thrown in, or something like that.
I Am Charlotte Simmons really drives home the point that you may not be handing your child over to the fine institution you think you are.
I wish they'd make it a movie.
SusanS