[jediokie]

Okay, I am a non-traditional student entering college for the first time at the age of 34 (shut up I'm old I know it). I find out today that my school is becoming 'progressive' and is the first four year in the state to mandate 30 hours of "service learning" for all students in order to graduate. To define it, service learning is community service for a grade.

I believe the implementation of "Service Learning" is not only a detriment to student development but beyond the scope of a state sponsored school. The whole idea of assigning someone to do community service eliminates the whole idea of it being a service. Instead of the student doing something for the betterment of his community he is now doing it to get a grade. Dependant on how high he wants to achieve, is how active he will become. If he does not care he will not do it. So it does not support community action by students on their own time, it teaches them they should be rewarded for being active in their community. Then there is the question of whether or not a state sponsored facility should be judging students on their morality or the perceived lack thereof. Is this not beyond their scope? Do we really want the state or even federal government telling us what our morals should be?

Anyway, I wanted to get some opinions from you guys before I get myself into trouble.

[axel]

I didn't actually read it but I am going to go with bogus.

[supersloth]

wrong forum for serious answers, moving it.

[no2pencil]

jediokie, on 27 Mar, 2008 - 06:00 PM, said:

Is this not beyond their scope? Do we really want the state or even federal government telling us what our morals should be?

This is America, I thought we were not supposed to ask questions like that. Kind of like the Wizard of Oz, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!

Either you want the degree & you'll put up with their b.s., or you can go somewhere else, or you can just go without the degree altogether. I found out a long time ago that it's much harder to get ahead in the professional work field by constantly swimming upstream.

[capty99]

ha, glad i went through my under years with that

no comm service for me.


required courses are still 90% crap.
i can understand required courses for a major...
but there are some that just need to be cut. waste of my time

[KYA]

it's probably true, high schools are requiring community service nowadays. I think its bullshit, but no2pencil is right.

[Programmist]

In high school I can understand it because the taxpayers are paying for your ass to go to school, but in college you are paying, so I'm calling shenanigans. Is this only for a liberal arts degree or any B.A. or is it also for science and engineering degrees (B.S.)?

Either way, I'd take my dollars elsewhere. No one mandates my activism.

[RodgerB]

Every day in a week in a year our class has the duty of cleaning up the school yard with gloves. It's not our fault the school hasn't put covers on the bins, so all the crows can peck them out and the wind can blow it out.

Its definitively littering.

[KYA]

Programmist, on 31 Mar, 2008 - 03:46 AM, said:

In high school I can understand it because the taxpayers are paying for your ass to go to school, but in college you are paying, so I'm calling shenanigans. Is this only for a liberal arts degree or any B.A. or is it also for science and engineering degrees (B.S.)?

Either way, I'd take my dollars elsewhere. No one mandates my activism.

Unless he REALLY wants to go to that school (for whatever reason), then he'll suck it up.

[jaelle]

My Psych professor had the 'great' idea of requiring 20 hours community service over the course of the semester to count for 20% of the grade. 20 hours is an absolute requirement too. If you get 15 hours, you will get a 0. Also, the whole process has been very unorganized and many students have had problems even just getting started. Also, I am a non-trad, don't live on campus (where many of the opportunities are), and have responsibilities beyond school (working full time, freelance, etc.), so getting 20 hours of free time during a time when volunteering opportunities are available is very difficult and the experience has not been a very positive one. I've noticed many others are having similar difficulties and are doing it because they have to, not because they actually want to help people

I think schools should go out of their way to encourage community service and make it easy for students to help out if they have the time and desire. It is a good thing. But they need to realize that requiring it pretty much turns it into a chore instead of being something positive.

[jediokie]

Programmist, on 31 Mar, 2008 - 02:46 AM, said:

In high school I can understand it because the taxpayers are paying for your ass to go to school, but in college you are paying, so I'm calling shenanigans. Is this only for a liberal arts degree or any B.A. or is it also for science and engineering degrees (B.S.)?

Either way, I'd take my dollars elsewhere. No one mandates my activism.

It is required for every student wishing to get any degree.

As far as wanting to go to this specific school, I do not have a choice. It is the only college in town, or driving distance for that matter. and I am not going to uproot my family so I can go to a different college. Plus, it has a fairly comprehensive CS program and a deceny Mathmatics department.

[KYA]

Sounds like the decision is already made, but it'll be worth it

[Programmist]

jediokie, on 3 Apr, 2008 - 07:59 PM, said:

It is required for every student wishing to get any degree.

As far as wanting to go to this specific school, I do not have a choice. It is the only college in town, or driving distance for that matter. and I am not going to uproot my family so I can go to a different college. Plus, it has a fairly comprehensive CS program and a deceny Mathmatics department.

Sounds like your stuck. Just out of curiosity, what state/college is this?

[KYA]

Programmist, on 6 Apr, 2008 - 03:48 PM, said:

jediokie, on 3 Apr, 2008 - 07:59 PM, said:

It is required for every student wishing to get any degree.

As far as wanting to go to this specific school, I do not have a choice. It is the only college in town, or driving distance for that matter. and I am not going to uproot my family so I can go to a different college. Plus, it has a fairly comprehensive CS program and a deceny Mathmatics department.

Sounds like your stuck. Just out of curiosity, what state/college is this?

Probably California--liberals

[jjsaw5]

capty99, on 30 Mar, 2008 - 02:07 AM, said:

required courses are still 90% crap.
i can understand required courses for a major...
but there are some that just need to be cut. waste of my time

I agree.

And as far as doing community service for a grade...I would look at going to another school. It has nothing to do with your purpose of attending college in the 1st place, and is a huge waste of time. Yes you are helping people and yada yada but if you want to do community service get into trouble with the law or join a church group.

They shouldn't be grading you on it, and it surely should not be mandatory.