This is a history of my interactions, with regard to one course, with administrators at Washington University in St. Louis. In my opinion, it documents, in the administrators’ own words, what the true goal is for some universities – and how, as David Riesman and Clark Kerr (and many others) have pointed out, those goals conflict directly with education.
(Added 12/1/2014: I have added a post with a discussion of what I thought caused some of the competition to make this important class more consumer-friendly than educational.)
(Though they are not neccessary for the article, I will be uploading the supporting documents as soon as I can.)
UPDATES: Read them here A Tale Out of School Update
Click on this link for the story A Tale Out of School – Final Version – 6-24-2014
For a very brief idea of what happened, click here.
Documents:
Email From Prof. Kay to Dean Johnson and Curriculum Committee
Grade Distribution Exam 1, Hw Problem (Here is the problem: Suppose y(x) is a solution to the differential equation y’ = y^2 – x. Suppose the graph of this solution is tangent to the m = -1 isocline: it touches the m = -1 isocline at a point (a,b), and the two curves have the same slope at that point. Calculate the values of a and b.)
Letter to Dean and Engineering Curriculum Comm. and Math Undergrad. Committee
Note From Tutor Who Disagrees With How the Course is Taught
Letter to Assistant Dean of Academic Integrity
Dean of Academic Integrity Responds to My Email
Letter from Chair to Mark after Chair is cc’ed on email from Mark to Jay
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