Ah. I hate to point this out (again) but my point was that this case probably has more to do with the class being misrepresented.
As I have said in other posts, I have found that certain courses are mis-labeled, mis-described, and are filled with ill-advised students (ill-advised meaning an advisor has mistakenly placed a student without the proper prerequisite coursed under their belts). Then, after a "drop-dead date" (i.e. after a full refund is impossible) the course inexplicably becomes more difficult.
While, yes, the implication is that students are lazy, the other implication is that many universities are using dishonest, predatory techniques to fill classrooms and generate revenue.
What did I say about algebra? No idiot counselor would let you take Calc I without algebra, geometry, and a course in pre-cal.:^P
Yes, I had had *basic* biology. The class was being represented as a basic plant biology course, one for non-minors, which implies that knowledge gained in high school would probably be enough (or that the assumption was that I had gained the experience in classes prior to this one was enough.) It was not. Nor was it for 60% of the class (!)
I think it's a bit unfair for us to call the students morons, considering we don't know how the course was handled at that particular school.
Yes, MCSE may be a joke, but maybe this particular instructor had more requirements.
I once took a course called "Advertising Copywriting," for example, and there was huge emphasis on design and layout of print ads. Imagine, if you will, having to go out and bankrupt yourself getting computer equipment for a class called Advertising Copywriting to get an A just because a) your university's computer labs suck and b) the professor decided he didn't just want to cover design, despite the fact that that was the focus of another required class.
My point is that the course might not have been as simple as y'all think it was.
Something needs to be done with the higher education system in this country, not the legal system, in this case.
This sounds like something I've learned is a fairly common practice--get counselors to talk students into taking a class, then, after a drop-dead date, make the class ultra-hard. Many students will repeat a course to get a better grade.
Only someone with a strong anti-American sentiment would have written such a comment.
If you read the article, this isn't about students getting a free ride. This is about honesty in representing a class.
Many people have already said, "Why didn't they just drop the class?" More than likely, the school was still going to get their money (probably past a drop-dead date when the class got hella tough; I've had this one happen before.)
The students were told the course would be so simple, all they'd have to do is "point and click."
I personally have had this happen to me. I once had a counselor talk me into taking a plant biology class because, as she said, "You need a biology credit and this class is *easy.*" Not only, as I found out later, did I need two other prerequisite courses (although I was never asked to drop the course), but, by the time I figured out just *how* far over my head this stuff was, I was at a point that, no matter whether or not I dropped the course, *the university was going to get my money.*
This seems to me to be rather a dishonest course of action on the part of the university, and, having talked to students from other universities, a fairly common practice: set students up to fail so they have to stick around for a couple more semesters.
I know what you're thinking: "Yeah, that's why you should make your own schedule." I was a transfer student. I was relatively unfamiliar with the university (other than it's reputation for CS in the state) and I wasn't given the option to choose my own classes since I transferred in.
What the article doesn't say is what percentage of the class failed. That would be nice to know.
The article states that the students were told that, if they could point and click, they could handle the course. Which, of course, was a lie. The class's content has been misrepresented, and students have been tricked into *paying* for a class that was not what they thought they were signing up for.
I go to SIU (Southern Illinois University...yeah, it *is* a crappy U:O) and I would *love* to sue the department that I'm in (which is, strangely enough, journalism; I switched over from CS. Calc killed me.:^( ) Not only to counselors give false information, but the *course catalogs*, in many cases, don't match what the actual content of the class is!
This could be a landmark (and wonderful) case. This could force universities to give counselors (and course catalogs, for that matter) relevant, accurate information.
I remember a piece on CBS News years ago about a 100-year-old business named "McBagel's" that went out of business because they couldn't afford the legal costs of a lawsuit filed against them by McDonald's (illegal use of the "Mc" trademark.)
Even if you have used the name before another person has, there are financial pressures too.
I wish that Slackware were developed by a *team* rather than one person. I love slack, but just try to get a relatively new distro ready for something like GNOME or KDE. (Come to think of it, KDE is *much* easier to shoehorn into a Slack distro;^)
Slashdot Mirror
Maybe you can pick up the basics of a language in 1-3 weeks....
...but you won't know jack shit about handling real applications programming in any of them. That's a shitty way to run an educational program.
I suppose I've been wasting my time--silly me, dilligently going to class to learn, and now I find that I'm not learning anything. :^P
Thanks for the info. You'll save many potential college students thousands of dollars.
Reuters is a news service. This could very well be on MSNBC too, for all I know. Or your local paper.
What sort of arrogance *are* you blinded by, then?
Ah. I hate to point this out (again) but my point was that this case probably has more to do with the class being misrepresented.
As I have said in other posts, I have found that certain courses are mis-labeled, mis-described, and are filled with ill-advised students (ill-advised meaning an advisor has mistakenly placed a student without the proper prerequisite coursed under their belts). Then, after a "drop-dead date" (i.e. after a full refund is impossible) the course inexplicably becomes more difficult.
While, yes, the implication is that students are lazy, the other implication is that many universities are using dishonest, predatory techniques to fill classrooms and generate revenue.
No, you're blinded by an anti-American sentiment.
What did I say about algebra? No idiot counselor would let you take Calc I without algebra, geometry, and a course in pre-cal. :^P
Yes, I had had *basic* biology. The class was being represented as a basic plant biology course, one for non-minors, which implies that knowledge gained in high school would probably be enough (or that the assumption was that I had gained the experience in classes prior to this one was enough.) It was not. Nor was it for 60% of the class (!)
Bless you. :O)
I think it's a bit unfair for us to call the students morons, considering we don't know how the course was handled at that particular school.
Yes, MCSE may be a joke, but maybe this particular instructor had more requirements.
I once took a course called "Advertising Copywriting," for example, and there was huge emphasis on design and layout of print ads. Imagine, if you will, having to go out and bankrupt yourself getting computer equipment for a class called Advertising Copywriting to get an A just because a) your university's computer labs suck and b) the professor decided he didn't just want to cover design, despite the fact that that was the focus of another required class.
My point is that the course might not have been as simple as y'all think it was.
Something needs to be done with the higher education system in this country, not the legal system, in this case.
This sounds like something I've learned is a fairly common practice--get counselors to talk students into taking a class, then, after a drop-dead date, make the class ultra-hard. Many students will repeat a course to get a better grade.
failing students==more revenue for university
Moron. RTFA.
Only someone with a strong anti-American sentiment would have written such a comment.
If you read the article, this isn't about students getting a free ride. This is about honesty in representing a class.
Many people have already said, "Why didn't they just drop the class?" More than likely, the school was still going to get their money (probably past a drop-dead date when the class got hella tough; I've had this one happen before.)
Come on.
The students were told the course would be so simple, all they'd have to do is "point and click."
I personally have had this happen to me. I once had a counselor talk me into taking a plant biology class because, as she said, "You need a biology credit and this class is *easy.*" Not only, as I found out later, did I need two other prerequisite courses (although I was never asked to drop the course), but, by the time I figured out just *how* far over my head this stuff was, I was at a point that, no matter whether or not I dropped the course, *the university was going to get my money.*
This seems to me to be rather a dishonest course of action on the part of the university, and, having talked to students from other universities, a fairly common practice: set students up to fail so they have to stick around for a couple more semesters.
I know what you're thinking: "Yeah, that's why you should make your own schedule." I was a transfer student. I was relatively unfamiliar with the university (other than it's reputation for CS in the state) and I wasn't given the option to choose my own classes since I transferred in.
What the article doesn't say is what percentage of the class failed. That would be nice to know.
Just what the subject line said.
:O) and I would *love* to sue the department that I'm in (which is, strangely enough, journalism; I switched over from CS. Calc killed me. :^( ) Not only to counselors give false information, but the *course catalogs*, in many cases, don't match what the actual content of the class is!
The article states that the students were told that, if they could point and click, they could handle the course. Which, of course, was a lie. The class's content has been misrepresented, and students have been tricked into *paying* for a class that was not what they thought they were signing up for.
I go to SIU (Southern Illinois University...yeah, it *is* a crappy U
This could be a landmark (and wonderful) case. This could force universities to give counselors (and course catalogs, for that matter) relevant, accurate information.
I remember a piece on CBS News years ago about a 100-year-old business named "McBagel's" that went out of business because they couldn't afford the legal costs of a lawsuit filed against them by McDonald's (illegal use of the "Mc" trademark.)
Even if you have used the name before another person has, there are financial pressures too.
I wish that Slackware were developed by a *team* rather than one person. I love slack, but just try to get a relatively new distro ready for something like GNOME or KDE. (Come to think of it, KDE is *much* easier to shoehorn into a Slack distro ;^)