Big Brother

To this point I've addressed whether students should design the content of their education, and the nebulous conclusion to this point is more so for "macro issues" (which college, program, instructor, etc.) and less so for "micro issues" (structure of program, content of courses, style of pedagogy, etc.). The reason for this stems from the recognition that adult consumers have certain freedoms and rights of choice, but as these consumers are more apprentices than customers (students!), it is the obligation of educational mentors to design and deliver specific features of that education. When considering the obligations of educational mentors as to whether they should design the content of student educations, the converse of the student situation is present, i.e., less so for macro issues, more so for micro issues. The reason is that while some would claim that the professor-as-expert argument is fundamentally flawed (the Ivory Tower thing- again, for another time), most would give faculty some credit for their training and experience, especially in their areas of expertise, which makes them more expert in "micro" matters and potentially less so in "macro" matters. Yet again, where is the line here?

For example, at our college, like most, students must meet certain prerequisites to enroll in some classes. There is scarely a day that goes by that in my role as an administrator I do not encounter a student who wishes to waive a prerequisite to take a course. Thankfully, we rarely have to travel down the "we know best" road because few students will care or understand the rebuttal that perhaps they can "do the work," but should they take the seat of someone who has met the prerequites? (generally met with an indifferent attitude translating to "What's your point?" - as if equity should matter when it's not their equity) and the ever popular, "Yes, you may be able to do the work, but odds are you could do it better if you were better prepared." (Generally met with a simple bovine stare.) All this reduces to the simple idea that "I want what I want, and I'm the customer (who is always right, and in a sense your boss since I contribute to your salary), so your job is to satisfy my wants." Now I run into that attitude enough at home (except for the contribute to my salary part), but am courteous enough to point out that the prerequisite represents the collective wisdom of a highly qualified faculty.

Ironically, I personally believe that there should be no prerequisites for anything, and that faculty should provide advice regarding which courses should be taken in preparation, allow students with seniority first opportunity to register for the courses, and if seats are available to those who are less qualified, let them make an informed decision to take the course or not. It will probably not be an optimum experience for those that do, and they may well fail, but as students/apprentices they are also responsible for their educations. We are here to help them reach their goals. We are not here to insure their success, but to insure their opportunity.