Printz--USM mini-sessions - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Nov 30, 2005

RE: Printz--USM mini-sessions

Date: Nov 30, 2005

Citizen wrote:

Why then is Intro to Mass Communications taught at university? Why not teach it in Junior High? I want my tax money back and plan to sue for truth in packaging.

Sure, "Faculty Member," I'll explain it. The reason this course isn't taught in junior high is that they've all been converted to middle schools & are busy teaching what "citizens" think is taught in the 3rd grade. And the reason for that is that "citizens" complain pretty loudly when their 3rd graders are expected to do homework instead of playing soccer or baseball or whatever.

Seriously, my take on "intro" classes has always been that one of their important functions is to allow students to sample a discipline to see if that's what they might like as their major. Very few 18 year old freshmen really know what they want to study. A few more "intro" classes in their curricula might just make for fewer junior year major changes & for fewer midlife career changes (with associated retraining needs). And that in turn, would save taxpayer money!

Date: Nov 30, 2005

Sociology 101 is indeed a core course and indeed there is a writing component (10 pages outside of class - so does NOT include essay questions on exams taken in class). As a member (and former chair) of Academic Council, I have not forgotten, nor have other colleagues. The problem is that most of these mini-session courses are not considered "modifications" in their conversion from 15 weeks to 1 week. I believe it is a modification that should go through all of the channels from department curriculum committee to college curriculum committee to Academic (or in some cases Graduate) Council.

Amy Young (Department of Anthropology and Sociology)

Date: Nov 30, 2005

SOC 101 was offered as a correspondence course. There has been a lot of comment on the board about how worthless those courses were. However, I recall that the homework for that course was intense, required a great deal of writing, and Mr. Turner graded with a fairly heavy hand.
From what I have seen in this discussion about mini-sessions, I think the correspondence courses may have been a better bet than some of you realize. At least most of them had reading and writing components, and all except the creative writing courses had PROCTORED exams.

(Speaking of the creative writing courses, does anyone know how Virginia Gregory fared in the hurricane?)

Date: Nov 30, 2005

Citizen wrote:

Why then is Intro to Mass Communications taught at university? Why not teach it in Junior High? I want my tax money back

And why is that course being considered for inclusion in their departmental core? And why is Sociology, already in the university core, taught on that basis? Isn't there some overall body such as a university curriculum committee that helps maintain academic integrity.

Date: Nov 30, 2005

Invictus wrote:

my take on "intro" classes has always been that one of their important functions is to allow students to sample a discipline to see if that's what they might like as their major.

The problem is not with offering introductory courses. The problem is offering them within a one two week timeframe.

Date: Nov 30, 2005

Amy Young wrote:

Sociology 101 is indeed a core course and indeed there is a writing component (10 pages outside of class

A writing component in a course lasting only two weeks must have a hum dinger of a writing requirement. If a core course can't meet the academic council's writing requirements when taught mini-wise, it should be offered only in the traditional matter or dropped as a core requirement.

Date: Nov 30, 2005

Invictus wrote:

I might add that the Invictus family college student is registered to take an Ole Miss Wintersession class

Maybe that's why the uneven manner with which Ole Miss handles academic matters is the reason that it is sometimes called Ole Hit-and-Miss.

Date: Nov 30, 2005

New clothes wrote:

Maybe that's why the uneven manner with which Ole Miss handles academic matters is the reason that it is sometimes called Ole Hit-and-Miss.

Could be.

But then, USM could easily be called "Southern Missed."

Amy hit the head on the nail, though. Serious modifications to a course format ought to go through appropriate channels for approval. As I indicated before, if the course originates at the instructor level, it's at least heading in the right direction (bottom up).

I do think, however, that this thread has failed to properly distinguish between true core (i.e., required) courses & core electives. Last time I checked, English Composition fell into the former category, while sociology fell into the latter.

Since I'm feeling a bit curmudgeonly today (and wondering what happened to Curmudgeon), I'll toss this bait into the pond: How many "required" classes or departmental prerequisites exists mainly to populate classes, guarantee teaching loads, or collect tuition?

Date: Nov 30, 2005

Invictus wrote:

I'll toss this bait into the pond: How many "required" classes or departmental prerequisites exists mainly to populate classes, guarantee teaching loads, or collect tuition?

Now you've started meddling