Opinion
Academics change over 30 years
March 29, 2007
Although it sometimes seems like just yesterday my academic life on the UW-River Falls campus began in 1976. During that fall semester, I entered what was at the time affectionately known as “Moo U” as a naïve freshman from Colby High School. I graduated in 1980, went on to graduate school and then to a few other faculty positions before returning in 1990. During those 30-plus years, campuses like UWRF have undergone dynamic shifts including those involving educational expectations.
It is always dangerous for a single individual to paint a picture of “life then” versus “life now,” but since I go by Bradley “Danger” Caskey, I am willing to take a shot. I would say at many levels the expectations of faculty members concerning basic student behaviors have not changed significantly with the “Big Three” continuing to be: come to class, read the book and be engaged while in class. As far as meeting those expectations, I think many faculty members who have been around for as long as I might suggest some changes have taken place.
First, current students seem somewhat more likely to skip class. It is possible that this is just my misperception although I believe that the increased numbers of students who are working long hours and who have work-school conflicts has led to a decline in attendance. Second, during the last decade I have noted a significant increase in the number of students who come to classes late. When I was a student, this type of behavior was less common perhaps because many instructors simply did not tolerate tardiness. A few years ago one of my colleagues actually got so fed up that he started locking his door (a practice no longer tolerated due to fire code). I still recall the stunned look on the face of students who were shut out.
On the engagement issue I am of two minds. Part of me believes current students are just as minimally involved in most courses as were students in my generation. That said, it does seem to be the case that students are significantly less passionate about issues and are much less willing to engage in lively debate about topics. My guess is that this is in part a result of the fact that most traditional-age students of today grew up in a time of relative economic prosperity and political stability.
I still vividly recall a youth in which images of protest and unrest were commonplace, and a time when campuses were centers of student-driven political activism. Perhaps the apathy that pervades the modern classroom is simply a reflection of the fact that students have not had that much to complain about and have not had the chance to hone their interactive skills. Given the growing unrest concerning the war in Iraq and growing skepticism about our political leadership, I would not be at all surprised to see a more interactive student body in the near future.
It has also come to my attention that the lack of interest/engagement in courses may be fueled by the fact that students seem significantly more career focused than in past generations. Not that students during my days on campus were not interested in getting a job, but it seems like more and more when students do not see a direct connection between course material and some job skill, they are less willing to engage in course materials.
Brad Caskey is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. A 1980 UWRF alumnus, Caskey has received numerous awards including UWRF Distinguished Teacher (1997), UWRF Advisor of the Year (2004), and the Regents Award for Teaching Excellence for the UW System (2005).