Main Highlights:
- A prominent professor at New York University was fired after a few students complained that the organic chemistry course he was teaching was too challenging, which seemed to herald a shift in the face of higher education.
- Professor tried to gently guide the kids through the process of problem-solving while using the Socratic approach. I made it clear from the outset that the conversation was intended to be constructive rather than harassing.
- The curriculum and teachers are well-known for being challenging while I’m an undergraduate. Research university professors, in my opinion, frequently place a greater emphasis on publication than on their classroom activities.
It appeared to signal a change in the face of higher education when a reputable professor at New York University was sacked after a small number of students complained that the organic chemistry subject he taught was too difficult.
Was this evidence that college students had become spoiled consumers?
“Students should have the freedom to inform administrators when they feel their education is being mishandled.”
I believe that rather than “Gen Z is lazy,” the problem right now is a lack of schooling. After graduating from a private university in 2021 with a degree in biology, I discovered that many instructors, particularly in STEM, had mixed feelings about teaching.
Even if they don’t have the final say in what happens next, students should have the freedom to complain to administrators when they feel they are receiving subpar instruction. — Hannah Geller, age 23, from Washington, D.C.
“Students became purchasers of certificates rather than consumers of education,”
In the last several years, students have stopped wanting to learn and have started buying credentials, according to a private institution where I taught postgraduate students about digital media management. In a clash, this progression gave rise to opposing sides: professors and our own obsessions on the one side, and students and the administrators who take their tuition on the other.
Ultimately, I was unable to tolerate the misalignment of priorities. I left academia because of the changes I noticed in the students and the way the administration catered to them. That proves that my attempt to adjust was unsuccessful.
From my standpoint, I felt obligated to act morally, whereas the students felt under pressure to receive their money’s worth. Although none of us is incorrect, our differences prevent us from working together anymore, which results in a failed business. — Stephen Masiclat, 61, Syracuse, N.Y.
What the struggle is about
‘It seemed as though you would never be successful if you didn’t achieve at that time.’
I earned a computer science degree from a sizable private institution in 2021. No matter how much prior coding knowledge you had, everyone in our beginning computer science class was meant to have an equal chance to succeed. In reality, that was very far from the case.
I found it far more difficult than those who had been coding since they were young (mostly white guys) and less difficult than those who were just entering the profession (more POC and women). In not so many words, our teachers informed us that the first few classes in our series served as “weed-out” classes.
It appeared that you would never succeed if you did not start off successful. When the second semester began, you could already see the results as our class gradually turned into a sea of white guys. After their lectures, professors should be held responsible for any majors that drop out. Emma Reed, age 23, of Pittsburgh
Developing problem-solving skills is a necessary component of this process.
I have a lot of experience instructing undergraduate students, graduate students, and medical students at a private institution in both seminar and big lecture settings. I tried to gently guide the kids through the process of problem-solving while using the Socratic approach. I made it clear from the outset that the conversation was intended to be constructive rather than harassing.
I first saw undergraduate students become averse to this difficulty around 15 years ago. This pain had reached graduate and medical students ten years prior. Inquiring about pupils in front of their peers is now largely seen as improper.
They feel “uncomfortable” about it. I pride myself on being a helpful, adaptable teacher who is aware of my student’s needs. I reject the idea of so-called “weed-out” programs. I think in education. But mastering problem-solving under adverse circumstances is a necessary step in this process. Barry Goldstein, age 70, of Westport, New York.
It’s been said that professors are frequently unwilling to alter their teaching methods.
I attend a private institution where the curriculum and teachers are well-known for being challenging while I’m an undergraduate. Research university professors, in my opinion, frequently place a greater emphasis on publication than on their classroom activities.
Additionally, I discover that professors frequently oppose altering their methods of instruction when something isn’t working since, for the majority, it doesn’t seem to be a top priority for them.
Many of my friends, like myself, are just unaccustomed to the kind of work that has been required for years in pre-med and other courses designed to screen out students in the post-Covid academic environment. — 20-year-old Ithaca, New York, resident Sam Nichols