The semester is quickly coming to an end. Whether it is your first or seventh semester I can’t help but wonder: Are you getting your money’s worth from your university experience?
| Are you a fully engaged partner in the teaching and learning process? |
As the person charged with providing leadership related to student development and as someone who advocates on behalf of students this is a question I often wonder about. Getting your money’s worth means making the most of the unique opportunities afforded to you in attending UW-Eau Claire. It is experiencing the “Eau Claire Advantage” which requires three things: First, becoming a fully engaged partner in the process of teaching and learning; second, finding something you are passionate about and getting involved on campus beyond the classroom; and third, taking advantage of opportunities to step outside of your comfort zone to experience the diversity of people and ideas found on campus and in the community.
To ensure that you are getting your money’s worth let’s take a few minutes to reflect on what each of these things really means and whether you are actually doing everything necessary to make those of us employed at the university earn our keep (so to speak).
First, becoming a fully engaged partner in the educational process means showing up for class, participating, asking questions and getting to know your faculty. If you aren’t doing all of these, you probably are not getting the most bang for your education dollar. In addition, engaging in the learning process means getting help when you need it. Sometimes that means meeting with your classmates for a study session. At other times it means meeting with faculty during office hours to discuss particularly interesting or confusing material. At yet other times, it means getting help from service providers such as tutors in the Academic Skills Center or taking a course or workshop on studying and other success skills, such as managing finances. It might mean taking advantage of the services offered by personal counselors on campus or meeting with the staff in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, if you have personal problems to resolve that are affecting your academic performance. Are you a fully engaged partner in the teaching and learning process?
Have you found your niche in campus life, your passion? There are many activities and organizations in which to get involved ranging from those concerned with social activism and politics to intramural sports, dance and the martial arts. There are also a number of activities more directly related to specific disciplines, such as faculty/student research collaboration, in which to get involved.
Although it can sometimes seem overwhelming to fit it all in, getting involved in the life of the campus beyond the classroom is an important part of student success. In fact, involvement is the most important factor in students sticking it out to graduation. Are you involved in the life of the campus beyond the classroom?
Finally, probably the most important outcome of a college experience is an enhanced understanding of yourself and the world in which you live. This results from being exposed to and integrating the diverse perspectives encountered on campus into your worldview. I’m talking about diversity in the broadest sense: ethnicity, class, gender, academic disciplines, religious viewpoints, etc.
Many times people think of diversity as something that has to do with the other, that minority over there. However, it is really about coming to understand that we all can become the other given the right (or wrong) circumstances.
It’s also about understanding that we each have a culture and that, in order to bridge the void that results from our unique perspectives, we must develop empathy, the ability to understand with feeling the experiences of others and the ability to confront our differences with civility.
As bell hooks put it, “We should not despair when there is conflict. Our solidarity must be affirmed by shared beliefs in a spirit of intellectual openness that celebrates diversity, welcomes dissent, and rejoices in the collective dedication to the truth.”
Attending the artist and forum series’, such as the recent one on the issue of the Rwandan genocide, going on a national or international student exchange, writing for one of the student papers or simply getting to know the person on your hall who you would have avoided in high school are some of the ways to develop these skills.
So step out of your comfort zone, engage in civil debate around controversial issues, make waves while you can because this is a unique opportunity to hear and be heard, to teach and to learn. Don’t waste it. Get what you’ve paid for!
Barrett is Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Development and Diversity and a columnist for The Spectator.
