Source: The Fundamental Way That Universities Are an Illusion – The New York Times
I commented.
“…When it comes to exerting influence over teaching and learning, [colleges are] Easter eggs. They barely exist…” They do exert an influence. It’s negative. I know. I’m a former math professor.
Here is just one example of a college exerting that negative influence. It occurred at Washington University in St. Louis. (The complete story, with documents is on my blog inside-higher-ed . Look for “A Tale Out of School”.)
Here are a few of the things that happened when I taught a critical course for engineers.
The Math Chair told me to make it a “cookbook” course. He didn’t want to “deal with” complaints. (For an almost humorous complaint, see the letter from the father and student on my blog. For a scary one see the letter from the student who took the “cookbook” version. He wrote that he couldn’t do the MIT problems I assigned, yet he made an A when he took the “cookbook” version. My students were learning well enough to regularly do those problems.)
The Engineering Dean of Student Academic Integrity emailed that that he was concerned about “retention”. That was his response to an email from me letting him know that students who cheated on homework did poorly on the exam.
I didn’t feel like being what I considered unethical, so I plunged ahead and taught the course in the best interests of the students, not the administration.
On a final note, Holden Thorpe was hired as Provost at Wash. U. – immediately after leaving UNC as Chancellor; yes, THAT Chancellor.
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