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Scaling back 'W' requirements is a good way to save money
Our Opinion
Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: Commentary
Students learn their ABC's in kindergarten, but by the time they get to college, the only letter they dread is W.
UConn requires that students take a certain number of W courses, depending on their majors, before they graduate. As much as some students may enjoy writing, they tend to dislike it out of spite when it is a requirement.
While some W classes benefit students and teach them how to properly write in an expository manner, others simply give students busy work. Busy work does not accomplish anything, but rather wastes time, and certainly doesn't improve students' writing. It is extremely important for students to learn how to write well to succeed in college and in the future, but taking two or more W classes doesn't necessarily accomplish that goal.
At a recent University Senate meeting, Geology Professor Robert Thorson proposed that the W requirement be changed. He thinks that the objective for better writing could be fulfilled with less time and money, and fewer required W courses.
The state of Connecticut is currently facing a budget crisis, which in turn affects UConn. As students may have already heard, construction is being halted on the new buildings that were supposed to replace Arjona and Monteith next year. There is more that can be done to help build the university back up to high esteem, while cutting less vital aspects of the university.
Thorson has the right idea about wanting to cut back the W requirement because it would not only save the university money, but it could possibly save faculty jobs. Right now, 55 percent of W courses are taught by full time salaried employees, according to Thorson. Some of those faculty and staff could benefit the university more if they were to teach classes focusing on research rather than writing skills or work in other ways to help the university, Thorson suggested.
The idea of a W requirement appears good at face value, and perhaps students should be obligated to take one W course in their majors; however, if students aren't learning from it and the W courses are not enriching the university - in fact, they are doing just the opposite, according to Thorson's research - the University Senate should reconsider W components in graduation requirements.
According to Thorson, the total number of credit hours of W courses during the 2007-2008 school year totaled 35,324. Cutting the requirement in half would still leave students with nearly 18,000 credit hours of writing, which is more than enough to teach students how to write while helping them improve their style, vocabulary and structure. Currently, the number of credit hours that students are obligated to write is excessive and unnecessary. Assuming that students aren't plagiarizing, their writing will improve each time they make an attempt at it. After all, practice makes perfect. But at a certain point, students reach their maximum capability or they simply get tired of writing and give up. Either way, students only need a certain amount of practice before it becomes futile.
UConn requires that students take a certain number of W courses, depending on their majors, before they graduate. As much as some students may enjoy writing, they tend to dislike it out of spite when it is a requirement.
While some W classes benefit students and teach them how to properly write in an expository manner, others simply give students busy work. Busy work does not accomplish anything, but rather wastes time, and certainly doesn't improve students' writing. It is extremely important for students to learn how to write well to succeed in college and in the future, but taking two or more W classes doesn't necessarily accomplish that goal.
At a recent University Senate meeting, Geology Professor Robert Thorson proposed that the W requirement be changed. He thinks that the objective for better writing could be fulfilled with less time and money, and fewer required W courses.
The state of Connecticut is currently facing a budget crisis, which in turn affects UConn. As students may have already heard, construction is being halted on the new buildings that were supposed to replace Arjona and Monteith next year. There is more that can be done to help build the university back up to high esteem, while cutting less vital aspects of the university.
Thorson has the right idea about wanting to cut back the W requirement because it would not only save the university money, but it could possibly save faculty jobs. Right now, 55 percent of W courses are taught by full time salaried employees, according to Thorson. Some of those faculty and staff could benefit the university more if they were to teach classes focusing on research rather than writing skills or work in other ways to help the university, Thorson suggested.
The idea of a W requirement appears good at face value, and perhaps students should be obligated to take one W course in their majors; however, if students aren't learning from it and the W courses are not enriching the university - in fact, they are doing just the opposite, according to Thorson's research - the University Senate should reconsider W components in graduation requirements.
According to Thorson, the total number of credit hours of W courses during the 2007-2008 school year totaled 35,324. Cutting the requirement in half would still leave students with nearly 18,000 credit hours of writing, which is more than enough to teach students how to write while helping them improve their style, vocabulary and structure. Currently, the number of credit hours that students are obligated to write is excessive and unnecessary. Assuming that students aren't plagiarizing, their writing will improve each time they make an attempt at it. After all, practice makes perfect. But at a certain point, students reach their maximum capability or they simply get tired of writing and give up. Either way, students only need a certain amount of practice before it becomes futile.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Carl Winslow
posted 2/06/09 @ 11:47 AM EST
yet again, i am very confused as to the point of this opinion. Are you essentially saying....we all know students hate writing, and they are horrible at it, so let's just get rid of the requirement? That makes little sense. (Continued…)
Gram. Mar.
posted 2/06/09 @ 9:12 PM EST
W classes should absolutely remain for all majors, regardless. There are far too many people, young and old, with horrendous writing skills. While these writing classes may not absolve all folks' poor writing skills, practice does make perfect. (Continued…)
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