Right of the bat, I will admit that I don't have the perfect solution, but I do have some ideas, most of which have been bandied about by other authors as well.
1. Trim administration
2. Get rid of the student loan system.
3. Make public universities free.
4. Have a broader general education requirement.
5. Reverse the percentages of tenure-track & adjunct professors.
1. Trim administration
2. Get rid of the student loan system.
3. Make public universities free.
4. Have a broader general education requirement.
5. Reverse the percentages of tenure-track & adjunct professors.
1. Trim Administration - it is well known at this point that administration of universities has grown immensely, and that, furthermore, administrators are paid exponentially more than adjuncts of professors. This is wrong. Not only do universities not need huge administrative staff, but those staff often stand in the way of true change while absorbing huge amounts of the budget. Shrinking the administration will give financial room for some of my other suggestions.
2. Student loans are morally wrong. Education is a right, and students should not be forced to mortgage their future in order to attain it. Student loans should not exist. Their existence means that someone (government and/or private businesses) are making a profit of students.
3. Bernie Sanders (Democratic nominee for President 2016) is proposing a bill to make public universities free. I fully support this, as it would partially solve the issue above.
4. I, like many of my friends, have complained about the general education system. "Why should I have to take a science course? Or a literature course? Or a random art appreciation course? I know what I want to study - why can't I just study it?" Except those general education courses have opened my eyes and changed my mind about what to study. Furthermore, as education's primary goal is to support a thriving democracy, it's necessary for us to explore different parts of that society - with sociology, history, art, philosophy - and yes, science and math. The general education system ought to be more of a liberal arts curriculum - and one that seems connected and coherent to the students, rather than a random checklist of departments. Interdisciplinary courses and seminar-style courses ought to be the norm. And it is this last point which is particularly important - these courses should not be filled with hundreds, or even dozens of students. That's one of the main reasons that students currently don't take their general education seriously.
5. I had an hour long talk with an adjunct professor this morning. He's not teaching classes this summer but still drove half an hour to talk to me about one of my research projects. Last year, another adjunct helped me deal wih my depression and anxiety that was causing me to develop an eating disorder. This is a small example of the dedication that adjuncts put into their jobs. They ought to be recognized and rewarded by receiving respect, security, and ample financial benefits. In short, most of them deserve to be full-time faculty, if not on the tenure-track. Giving these professors the security and recognition that they deserve would not only benefit them, it would benefit their students and the university system as well.
When I talk to other students and faculty about these issues, everyone ends up going "We need to get the word out there. We need to talk more. How can we do something?" I admire the SEIU and the Faculty Forward movement. I appreciate the efforts of the AAUP. I hope that it will continue into something long-term.
I remember April 15th - why can't we do that every 15th of the month? We can write op-eds and educate our friends and families. We also need to have discussions about what a society ought to be in order to convince others that the changes we want deserve to happen.
2. Student loans are morally wrong. Education is a right, and students should not be forced to mortgage their future in order to attain it. Student loans should not exist. Their existence means that someone (government and/or private businesses) are making a profit of students.
3. Bernie Sanders (Democratic nominee for President 2016) is proposing a bill to make public universities free. I fully support this, as it would partially solve the issue above.
4. I, like many of my friends, have complained about the general education system. "Why should I have to take a science course? Or a literature course? Or a random art appreciation course? I know what I want to study - why can't I just study it?" Except those general education courses have opened my eyes and changed my mind about what to study. Furthermore, as education's primary goal is to support a thriving democracy, it's necessary for us to explore different parts of that society - with sociology, history, art, philosophy - and yes, science and math. The general education system ought to be more of a liberal arts curriculum - and one that seems connected and coherent to the students, rather than a random checklist of departments. Interdisciplinary courses and seminar-style courses ought to be the norm. And it is this last point which is particularly important - these courses should not be filled with hundreds, or even dozens of students. That's one of the main reasons that students currently don't take their general education seriously.
5. I had an hour long talk with an adjunct professor this morning. He's not teaching classes this summer but still drove half an hour to talk to me about one of my research projects. Last year, another adjunct helped me deal wih my depression and anxiety that was causing me to develop an eating disorder. This is a small example of the dedication that adjuncts put into their jobs. They ought to be recognized and rewarded by receiving respect, security, and ample financial benefits. In short, most of them deserve to be full-time faculty, if not on the tenure-track. Giving these professors the security and recognition that they deserve would not only benefit them, it would benefit their students and the university system as well.
When I talk to other students and faculty about these issues, everyone ends up going "We need to get the word out there. We need to talk more. How can we do something?" I admire the SEIU and the Faculty Forward movement. I appreciate the efforts of the AAUP. I hope that it will continue into something long-term.
I remember April 15th - why can't we do that every 15th of the month? We can write op-eds and educate our friends and families. We also need to have discussions about what a society ought to be in order to convince others that the changes we want deserve to happen.