‘Teaching out’: Been there, done that

"You will be able to continue your degree progress."

These words were repeated several times by administrators in last Tuesday's meeting about the budget cuts. I wanted to question the administration on the specifics of this statement, but unfortunately, after having been passed over on several occasions I had to leave to attend my night class.

I would like the administration to provide a little more clarity on their proposed solutions for allowing affected students to continue in their programs. My experience from the cuts in the economics program leaves much to be desired in this area so I would like to provide a small amount of advice for the students who are newly affected.

My first piece of advice is a word of caution: take the administration's words with a grain of salt. I was told that I would be able to continue on and finish out my degree when they cut the economics program, and it is true to a certain extent: I will still be receiving a degree in economics; however, this does not speak to the education I am currently receiving.

Thus far, the administration's proposal to allow me to graduate with an economics degree has been for me to take a number of finance courses that will transfer for economics credits. This transfer of credits is necessary due to the shortage of economics faculty now on campus as a result of last year's budget cuts as well as the remainder of the faculty voluntarily leaving after realizing the lack of job security and lack of value that this university places on their area of expertise.

What does this mean? It means I will be "finishing" out my degree in economics by taking upper level finance courses for the entirety of my senior year and transferring them for economics credits. This ultimately means I will receive a hollow degree because it suggests that I will have an education and a proficiency in an area that this university has not provided me with.

At the same time, my degree will not speak of anything to suggest of my proficiencies in the field of finance despite having taken several upper level finance courses to transfer for these credits that I need.

For those of you who think the solution of simply changing my major to finance is obvious, it is slightly more complicated than that. I have spoken with the proper authorities about this possibility, and it has been determined that I will still have to take all of the basic finance courses that I would have taken last year despite my apparent proficiencies in the middle and upper level courses. Doing this will require me to stay an extra semester beyond my expected graduation date, on my own dollar, to "earn" the degree that I have already shown that I deserve by passing the middle and upper level courses which should understandably build on the basic concepts taught in the lower courses.  

Before you put too much stock in what the administration says and take them at their word, I encourage you to do a little research into the specifics of how they plan for you to continue your degree and whether or not you will be receiving the quality of education that you desire in that area.

I would hate to see others students hoodwinked in a similar manner; thinking that they will be obtaining education in a particular area but then placed on a course to receive an empty degree that does nothing to attest to your academic abilities in the areas that the university deemed appropriate for you to transfer credit from.

Given the apparent difference in approach that the administration has adopted (which is far more than they did for the individuals affected last year), I would hope that they have worked out a better system... but I wouldn't bank on it.