Re: [xmca] University & Conformity

>I really doubt that this is a sensitive or delicate issue for participants
>in XMCA, Eric;
>it would be sad if you were correct.

I am sufficiently stung by the suggestion that the state of our
universities and colleges is too sensitive for university teachers on
xmca to get involved in the discussion to post a brief reply. I am in
fact leaving tomorrow morning for a small conference on "Learning in
Higher Education" and at the forthcoming ISCAR conference I have
organized a symposium on CHAT and Higher Education, which I hope some
of you will attend.

Just over a year ago there was a meeting on the UCSC campus to
discuss the long-range development plan (DSAP). At that meeting both
the acting chancellor and the executive vice-chancellor spoke proudly
about the high quality of our undergraduate program, as demonstrated
by the high rank of our campus in getting undergraduates into
postgraduate programs. I took the opportunity to suggest that there
was equally cause for concern at the high dropout rate and the lack
of serious interest in really engaging with the ideas presented in
their courses shown by many students. At the EVC's invitation, I put
my comments in writing and sent them to him. I received no reply. For
those who are interested, I am attaching a copy of the letter that I
sent to the EVC.

Gordon

-- 
Gordon Wells
Department of Education
University of California, Santa Cruz		http://people.ucsc.edu/~gwells

_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca