From sergio Tue Mar 28 19:54:53 1995 Return-Path: Received: from saturn.seismo.unr.edu.unr.edu by quake.seismo.unr.edu (4.1/1.34) id AA02019; Tue, 28 Mar 95 19:54:53 PST Date: Tue, 28 Mar 95 19:54:53 PST From: sergio (Sergio Chavez) Message-Id: <9503290354.AA02019@quake.seismo.unr.edu> To: louie Subject: Re: Revision to UNR's Academic Master Plan being constructed Cc: students, jga, richschw@unr, stevew, carr@equinox, sergio Content-Length: 6189 X-Lines: 138 Status: RO >>> Subject: Revision to UNR's Academic Master Plan being constructed >>> ----------------------------------------------------------------- I read the Master Plan some time ago. It's a nice piece of work, but I'd like to make a few comments about graduate students. Hope you find them useful... Very best regards, Sergio Chavez-Perez PS. Of course, my sometimes blunt criticism does NOT intend to offend anyone. >>> Should anything be retained? Added? Taken out? > Concerning students, as a whole, the Master Plan states (Part I, p. 1) that > UNR must equip people by, among many other things, enlivening curiosity and > cultivating critical judgement. These are, in my view, two of the most important values any human being MUST have/acquire to consider himself/herself useful to his/her society. However, it's NOT very easy to find among students and, sometimes, even among profe- ssors. We all must be quite aware about the importance of "observation and criticism," those twin privileges --and, as Umberto Eco (Italian literary cri- tic & novelist, among other things) says, duties-- of all thinking human being. [Of course, we should NOT forget self-criticism.] > Concerning graduate student learning, the Master Plan states (Part I, p. 5) > that "We will improve the experience of graduate students by providing > tangible recognition of their dual role --as our colleagues in teaching and > research even as they are also our students. We will fund more teaching and > research assistanships, encourage faculty to serve as mentors and partners > in research, and provide training and coaching in teaching techniques. At > the same time, we will systematically evaluate and improve our graduate pro- > grams." > > > In addition, it intends to: > > "Promote a campus culture in which graduate students are treated with res- > pect and collegiality and recognized for their contributions to research > and teaching." (Part II, p. 10) This is very hard to find in most American universities, not only at UNR. In my experience (Univ. of South Carolina, Univ. of Utah, UNR, etc), VERY FEW professors treat students as colleagues. There is almost always a "barrier." Of course, I HATE the usual classism we sometimes experience just be- cause we are students and we are supposed to know nothing. We are here JUST to be told and obey. Also, supposedly and most importantly, to learn and edu- cate ourselves. -------- In my view, and many others', the Academia can be accurately defined as a continuous confrontation of egos as most (all?) academics are egocen- tric, intellectual bullies. We have to face, undergo and witness a lot of these confrontations and cope with the intimidation they can produce. Usually, faculty members only point out what is wrong with us, but NOT what is right. There is not enough feedback in some stages of the evaluation process (e.g., qualifying exams). I know that awareness of one's potential is the most significant component of self, but this is not reinforced most of the time. The main cause, I think, is the fact that for most professors re- search is much more important and rewarding. Of course, there are exceptions to everything I just wrote. Also, keep in mind that nobody is asking for exams and/or advisor-student relations that rely on immediate mutual backscratching! > "Encourage a teaching experience for graduate students as part of an emphasis > on improving communication skills in students." (Part II, p. 10) Concerning students at the Seismo Lab (and a few at the Dept. of Geol. Sci.), it's been surprising for me to find out, in general, how quiet and passive they/we are. I think we all need to be more assertive, ... more agressive! In an institution of learning (like any university), if some people need more time or attention, it should be provided to them, I don't think it is an unfair treatment nor an unfair request. Universities are NOT the "professional/real world" for students. Graduate school is meant to prepare us, in many ways, for working in our areas of study (even for some of us, who are graduate students again). Of course, it should be the place where an environment is created where we can feel safe enough to overcome our deficien- cies and grow in new ways, but this is seldom the case. I agree with what lots of educators stress: "school/classes are the venue for addressing a student's quietness." Where else can we have this opportunity? However, nearly all the Seismo Lab students (is this due to cultural diversity? or is it a problem of self-esteem?) work too much by themselves and there is not, in my opinion, a genuine spirit of unselfish cooperation nor the desired (expected?) interaction among us. The reality of most, if not all, American universities is the in- creasing presence of foreign students and this is really changing the class- rooms. -------- Finally, I think it would be VERY important and useful for all of us (students) to attend any M.S. and Ph.D. final examinations (excluding compre- hensive and qualifying exams) we wish. But, of course, INCLUDING THE QUESTION- ING PART. Isn't the defense supposed to be more an acclamation than examination? --------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> 2) How can Hoover's committee describe the new plan to all the >>> groups on campus and in the community that are affected by plan, >>> and hear their concerns? Should the committee meet with >>> departments, faculty groups, student organizations, staff groups, >>> and community organizations? What could be the most effective >>> ways to communicate? I think the most effective (but not necessarily the least time consuming) way is an open forum on any of these issues, but American universities seldom do that. However, Hoover's committee (and any other committee) could also take advan- tage of experienced students willing to help and speak (former TAs, former RAs, former teachers/researchers). That would one way to show graduate stu- dents a tangible recognition of their dual role --as colleagues in teaching and research and also as students.