Administration takes complete control of student life
Matthew Tilley
Issue date: 3/9/05 Section: Opinion
A year ago it would have been hard to believe the administration wanted to go this far. However, it has now become clear that if the Dean of Students office had its way, it would control all aspects of campus life, from whom we socialize and live with, to what we do on the weekends.
The proposed strategic plan for student life, developed primarily by the Dean of Students office, suggests changing the dorms and Greek houses into academically themed housing, where students would be grouped by major and common courses, not by their own free choice. It is, by far, the most drastic infringement into the personal lives of students ever proposed at this school.
The plan calls these academic sweatshops, "residential learning-based communities," and would require that all sophomores spend a second year in the dorms under such a system. Juniors and seniors would live in the Greek houses, which the plan also hopes to transform into "residential learning based-communities."
Initially, a "residential learning-based community" doesn't sound any different than a dorm. After all, a dorm is a place where people live and is based around learning. Don't be fooled though, there is a reason for the double speak. In writing this piece, I e-mailed Dean Watkins for an explanation of the term.
She responded with a link to a website her committee used in researching its proposal, and wrote, "I hope you can use this in the development of your opinion piece as it seems some research on it might be helpful in developing an opinion piece." Well, Dean Watkins, my research was definitely helpful.
"Residential learning-based communities" are the equivalent of a fad diet in the world of education. Students who enroll in these communities live with their classmates, taking either some or all of their classes together in a package deal. The communities are usually voluntary, but the proposal for W&L is to have them campus-wide.
The programs are often used to create a sense of community in larger schools, and require those students living together to participate and host study sessions, lectures and experiential learning activities. Supposedly their major benefit is greater student involvement and retention.
The proposed strategic plan for student life, developed primarily by the Dean of Students office, suggests changing the dorms and Greek houses into academically themed housing, where students would be grouped by major and common courses, not by their own free choice. It is, by far, the most drastic infringement into the personal lives of students ever proposed at this school.
The plan calls these academic sweatshops, "residential learning-based communities," and would require that all sophomores spend a second year in the dorms under such a system. Juniors and seniors would live in the Greek houses, which the plan also hopes to transform into "residential learning based-communities."
Initially, a "residential learning-based community" doesn't sound any different than a dorm. After all, a dorm is a place where people live and is based around learning. Don't be fooled though, there is a reason for the double speak. In writing this piece, I e-mailed Dean Watkins for an explanation of the term.
She responded with a link to a website her committee used in researching its proposal, and wrote, "I hope you can use this in the development of your opinion piece as it seems some research on it might be helpful in developing an opinion piece." Well, Dean Watkins, my research was definitely helpful.
"Residential learning-based communities" are the equivalent of a fad diet in the world of education. Students who enroll in these communities live with their classmates, taking either some or all of their classes together in a package deal. The communities are usually voluntary, but the proposal for W&L is to have them campus-wide.
The programs are often used to create a sense of community in larger schools, and require those students living together to participate and host study sessions, lectures and experiential learning activities. Supposedly their major benefit is greater student involvement and retention.