2008 Woodie Awards
Letter: Students should be told more about what is happening at their school
Issue date: 12/8/06 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
To the editor:
I'm a junior at St. Joe's and I usually consider myself as informed as any other student here on campus about the major changes that have happened and are planned for the near future. For instance, I know that we recently bought Episcopal for 10 million bucks, we finally purchased the City Ave buildings, there's a new parking deck being built on 54th St., and we're getting a Starbucks where Dake's was. I also know that for the past year or so, the faculty has been discussing changes to the GER. Until recently however, I had no idea what these changes were or why they were being proposed. For instance, did you know that future students might have to take a course on Catholicism? You might not have, unless one of you professors slipped up and "accidentally" discussed the proposed changes. I've had the same conversation with different professors and the first response I get from them is, "Who told you about that?" It's almost as if current students are not supposed to know what or why things are going to change.
I believe that students on this campus are generally apathetic when it comes to campus policy, but it seems that every business major I speak with has something to say about the philosophy requirement. The truth is many of us do care what will happen to our beloved three theologies in the future, we just have no idea what is at stake. Why should I seek out a faculty meeting to sit in on if I don't even know what the proposed changes are.
The argument for not including students in GER talk is that current students may be biaeds against the GER because they have not seen the "real world" results of a liberal arts education. Still, professors should discuss this topic openly (while still not breaking into class time) because the truth is there are many students who hate the 20 required classes and would love to throw them out all together, but after hearing the reason's why we have the GER may understand why (some) of the classes are necessary. There should be an open dialogue as to why students came to this school and if a class on Catholicism or a required service-learning course would have changed their decisions.
I know the GER change will not affect me, but I still care where the school is headed. I have an idea as to what a Jesuit tradition is and how it can be applied to university education. But, by keeping the GER changes a "secret". I'm losing out, my ideas can't be heard. Only when I know what's at stake can I really stop being apathetic.
Kacie Peters '08
I'm a junior at St. Joe's and I usually consider myself as informed as any other student here on campus about the major changes that have happened and are planned for the near future. For instance, I know that we recently bought Episcopal for 10 million bucks, we finally purchased the City Ave buildings, there's a new parking deck being built on 54th St., and we're getting a Starbucks where Dake's was. I also know that for the past year or so, the faculty has been discussing changes to the GER. Until recently however, I had no idea what these changes were or why they were being proposed. For instance, did you know that future students might have to take a course on Catholicism? You might not have, unless one of you professors slipped up and "accidentally" discussed the proposed changes. I've had the same conversation with different professors and the first response I get from them is, "Who told you about that?" It's almost as if current students are not supposed to know what or why things are going to change.
I believe that students on this campus are generally apathetic when it comes to campus policy, but it seems that every business major I speak with has something to say about the philosophy requirement. The truth is many of us do care what will happen to our beloved three theologies in the future, we just have no idea what is at stake. Why should I seek out a faculty meeting to sit in on if I don't even know what the proposed changes are.
The argument for not including students in GER talk is that current students may be biaeds against the GER because they have not seen the "real world" results of a liberal arts education. Still, professors should discuss this topic openly (while still not breaking into class time) because the truth is there are many students who hate the 20 required classes and would love to throw them out all together, but after hearing the reason's why we have the GER may understand why (some) of the classes are necessary. There should be an open dialogue as to why students came to this school and if a class on Catholicism or a required service-learning course would have changed their decisions.
I know the GER change will not affect me, but I still care where the school is headed. I have an idea as to what a Jesuit tradition is and how it can be applied to university education. But, by keeping the GER changes a "secret". I'm losing out, my ideas can't be heard. Only when I know what's at stake can I really stop being apathetic.
Kacie Peters '08
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