Choose your own textbooks...
Remember the choose your own adventure books? Well, this is like that, but with textbooks.
New legislation is up for a vote in Arizona which would require public colleges to provide students with “alternative coursework” if a student finds the assigned material “personally offensive,” which is defined as something that “conflicts with the student’s beliefs or practices in sex, morality or religion.”
Students have the right to choose which courses they want to take, and they can choose to not take courses if they're uncomfortable with the material. On the first day of every course I've ever done a syllabus was provided listing the readings. If a student didn't want to read those texts, they have the option to drop the course. But students should not have the right to dictate which books can and can't be taught. Some professors are trying to take students out of their comfort zone and challenge them - which is part of the university experience, is it not? Universities aren't there to coddle students and cater to their every need, they provide a service, which isn't always "fun".
One Senator acknowledged that additional negotiations might be needed. He said that he doubted colleges would follow the bill’s provisions now “because of the whole academic freedom thing.” Right, that.
And one bright spark actually sat through the reading of the syllabus, ignored the warnings about the "adult themes" of some of the works (including the satiric wife-swapping section of "The Ice Storm"), and several weeks into the course he demanded an alternate set of readings. He did say that he hadn't been paying attention earlier when the texts were discussed. I guess his case wasn't going the way he wanted because he resorted to step 2: having his mom call the college president and complain. Atta boy.
What's going to stop a student in a literature class (who really thinks the book is just too long or boring) from claiming that it's against his religion/sex/morals/feelings about mockingbirds? Instead, just pay attention in the beginning of the class and drop before the penalty date. But hey, if we get that rule here, I could find statistical analysis morally repugnant couldn't I?
New legislation is up for a vote in Arizona which would require public colleges to provide students with “alternative coursework” if a student finds the assigned material “personally offensive,” which is defined as something that “conflicts with the student’s beliefs or practices in sex, morality or religion.”
Students have the right to choose which courses they want to take, and they can choose to not take courses if they're uncomfortable with the material. On the first day of every course I've ever done a syllabus was provided listing the readings. If a student didn't want to read those texts, they have the option to drop the course. But students should not have the right to dictate which books can and can't be taught. Some professors are trying to take students out of their comfort zone and challenge them - which is part of the university experience, is it not? Universities aren't there to coddle students and cater to their every need, they provide a service, which isn't always "fun".
One Senator acknowledged that additional negotiations might be needed. He said that he doubted colleges would follow the bill’s provisions now “because of the whole academic freedom thing.” Right, that.
And one bright spark actually sat through the reading of the syllabus, ignored the warnings about the "adult themes" of some of the works (including the satiric wife-swapping section of "The Ice Storm"), and several weeks into the course he demanded an alternate set of readings. He did say that he hadn't been paying attention earlier when the texts were discussed. I guess his case wasn't going the way he wanted because he resorted to step 2: having his mom call the college president and complain. Atta boy.
What's going to stop a student in a literature class (who really thinks the book is just too long or boring) from claiming that it's against his religion/sex/morals/feelings about mockingbirds? Instead, just pay attention in the beginning of the class and drop before the penalty date. But hey, if we get that rule here, I could find statistical analysis morally repugnant couldn't I?
posted by Lisa at
11:41 p.m.
1 Comments:
Are you KIDDING me?
So basically, I could declare just about anything against one or more of my personal principles and NOT have to read it? That's an interesting strategy I should attempt to take into Comps.
And FYI to all who think this is a good idea: That's not a degree you're getting, it's a certificate of completion of a slightly guided venture in recreational readings. Dangerously close to "I only learn what I want to learn".
Geez, Kids these days...
By
Shannon, at 10:42 a.m.
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