What should a university department do?

Some fundamental and complicated issues regarding the proper purpose of an undergraduate degree have been presented in The Daily Telegraph. 20 year-old Liz Harris has quit her English degree at Bristol, disilllusioned by the lack of interaction with faculty.

I found this article interesting, since I too became very disillisioned and unimpressed with my undergraduate education. Such emotion I channelled into independant study, thoroughly crafted essays, and a pursuit of extra-curricular stimulation. I targeted the faculty I admired, and made effort to know them better. Michael Rauh, Arthur Thomas and Saquib Jaffery inspired me to pursue my education, and helped my application for US postgraduate study.

On the morning of my graduation I met with the Department Chair Peter Taylor who listened to my complaints, and was receptive to my suggestions. We agreed that the problem was two-sided: most students have no interest in pursuing thought, and desire to do the least work possible to gain a degree. Frankly, most undergraduates want as little contact as possible with staff.

Ms Harris seems to be unaware of what she wants. Apparently it is a source of complaint, that:

The first shock was the timetable: just six hours of teaching a week, consisting of three one-hour lectures, one two-hour seminar and one one-hour tutorial. It also meant a three-day week, with nothing scheduled on Monday or Friday.

The formal requirements were just as undemanding: read one book a week for the seminar, and write one 2,500-word essay a fortnight. Otherwise, the students were left to their own devices.

If this is not a source of jubilation, then she can't take the intellectual highground: if she can't find solace in hours devoted to reading and writing, she's not an academic. Also, I'd be most interested to read some of her works. A book a week and a fortnightly 2,500 word essay are as demanding as you desire, but if she thought the course was easy, why complain that:

"For example, each term, there'd be a new module and a massive list of 'suggested reading' containing just about every book on the topic ever written. The only guidance we got was to 'delve into it'. Everyone felt overwhelmed."

Not enough to read? Too much? Oh sorry, you want it spoonfed....

There's no doubt that the system is being badly damaged by government desires to flood universities with unsuitable applicants, and this is, I feel, the main problem. Whilst her criticisms are valid, it's hard to feel sympathy for someone who uses a light courseload as a criticism. To be sure, she should be receiving feedback, and to feel inspired. But if she's not capable of providing that herself, she should be happy with her 2:1 and look forward to a career in Marketing.

Note: the title i've used for this post refers to my ordered comments handed to Peter Taylor in July 2002. The answer, was to filter out the scruff, and inspire the inquisitive. I also wrote The Essay as a Creative Process which is relevant to this issue. Thanks to an anonymous Filter^ reader for their insiders comments on this matter.

Comments

[TIS]

I think Liz Harris does articulate a point of view held by many, many people reading arts degrees up and down the country.

I disagree entirely with her assessment of what she could do with what she was being offered, but I do have sympathy with her frustration at universities not always recognising or rewarding students with enthusiasm.

You're absolutely right that the problem is two-sided.

One thing universities - and schools - should be doing is preparing students for the gap between the two. But they should also get students to make a conscious choice about going on to further study. Do you want to have all that time to think and read in? Do you want to do a more practical course? etc. etc.

Having all that time to think in should be exciting!

How much do the changes in the A-Level system have to answer for? One of the best years of my life was Lower Sixth - a time when I read and thought and talked seriously about what I was reading with friends for the first time. It was such important time: but now that kind of year would be impossible, because of the number and nature of AS exams.

[AJE]

It's a good point about reclaiming the lower sixth, I agree. My A-level teachers are united in unease at the new suffocating system. The problem with encouraging students to make a concious decision to aim for a university degree is that at present, they're being urged to do it without thinking. This is the fault of central government's obsession with a degree as an end in itself, when really degrees should be seen as means to achieve other ambitions.

[RP]

oi,whats wrong with a career in marketing? Or as those of us headed down that rocky path call it... business development.