|
|
|
pride / spiritWhen was the last time you got more than just a grade, when you put your heart into a class? When was the last time you had a real conversation with a member of the faculty? When did you feel that you could find something you really wanted to do, even if it was not in an engineering, architecture or science field and not have to leave Illinois Tech? The answers to these questions may explain why many students transfer out of Illinois Tech. For every class you taken, you have received a grade. Usually, you got nothing else. Good grades add up, but show no real value while a student was still in school. In a recent TechNews e-mail survey, several students mentioned the lack of rewards for having a high GPA was one of the reasons for transferring out of Illinois Tech. Andrea Gorse, a civil engineering senior, thought that students should be rewarded with some sort of scholarship for being an asset to the university "through academic accomplishment and extra curricular involvement." Monuil Tonev said, "Many students are disappointed by that fact, which would make them transfer to a school where after showing academic excellence they will be awarded higher scholarships and be able to make it financially through school." Both students noted that with such scholarships, students with financial need would be more likely to stay. Also, students would be more motivated to earn high GPAs and get involved with student activities. How should students and faculty interact? The lack of interaction may have been a major reason why students leave Illinois Tech. Peter Johnson, a chemistry professor, contended that all other reasons for leaving the university lead back to two things. First, students must be embraced by their major. A student must have had a quality advisor and professors with open and encouraged office hours. They must also have participated in professional societies. This can be encouraged by having the university pay membership dues and by having major amounts of faculty involvement. Areas of study in major's buildings Should be available with professional books and journals. These areas need to be used by the faculty, so that professors can share their interests, hobbies and professional experiences with students. Second, students must be involved in at least one strong, engaging peer group. Johnson mentioned many student organizations on campus as being strong, engaging groups. These groups act as social bond between students with similar interests. Johnson noted that these two things formed campus families for students. He stated that these "campus families" can find solutions to the problems that students face. It is these problems that cause students to transfer. One example he gave was that of being able to afford to attend Illinois Tech. He stated a campus family may be able to reduce housing cost by finding the student cheaper housing. Similarly, Karen Williams of the ECE Department said that students wanted to feel like they belong. Not only the freshmen, but also the returning students have told her that they would feel more at home if they knew someone cared. To solve this problem in her department, Williams has started a buddy list. The list includes all ECE students. She e-mails these students, asks how things are going, encourages them to tell her about what they have been doing and gives them advice when they need it. |
She has kept secrets, applauded greatness and pushed students to do many things.
Among them were not to drop classes because they were hard, to make adult
choices in their social lives and to enjoy life. She said, "When the students e-mail me or
call, I MAKE the time for them." When a student gets in contact with her, Williams always gets back to them. She stated, "I will not give up on a student who wants an education and a friend." Peter Lykos also agreed with this assessment. He noted that faculty need to involve students in more of their projects. He said that students will identify with the school when they are committed and immersed in a project. Lykos suggested, "Perhaps we need more of a broker function." One student who wished to remain anonymous believed that the university is not committed enough to the students lives. That student said, "They need to concentrate on the livelihood of those people who pay the salaries with their tuition. They need to pay attention to what we are going through and respond to those needs in order to keep us at this school." Many members of the faculty noted that Illinois Tech has such a narrow focus on engineering, the sciences and architecture. They cited that many students did not fit into any of these subject areas. One member said, "Life without engineers would be dull, but life with 50 engineers and one architect is no prize." The professor continued on to note that the university could have other majors, along with minors and undergraduate certificates. Other fields involving technology outside engineering and the sciences exist. David Arditi, a professor in the CAE Department, said, "I think the most common reason why a student leaves IIT is because he/she is not doing well in class (i.e, the discipline they enrolled in is not for them) and Yet there are no alternative programs such as for example journalism, fine art, etc. to which they can transfer." D. R. Ucci, the interim chair of the ECE Depattment noted that many students, while they do fit into their major, do not have the time for a full-time commitment. He mentioned that many students work in order to make tuition. He suggested that a full-time student not work more than 50-60 hours per week, including school and for-pay work. He emphasized 50 hours over 60 hours. For school work three hours per credit hour should be spent per week, including class time. So a three credit hour course would require nine hours. He gives this example, "...if a student has 15 credit hours, belongs to a club which meets for 3 hours per week and works 12 hours per week for money, s/he is at 60 hours." Non of the current Illinois Tech students who responded to the e-mail survey mentioned major as a reason to leave the university. Last year, the Undergraduate College looked into why students did not return to Illinois Tech. John Kallend, the former Undergraduate Dean, noted that academic and financial reasons dominated why students did not return. He noted that financial reasons were often related to the academic, since much financial aid was dependent on academic progress. To help to solve this, the Academic Resource Center was formed. If many students and faculty get their way, when you get out of a class you will have gotten more than just a good grade. Also, you will have been involved with your professors in more than just class. You will have been able to change your major without having to leave Ilinois Tech. |
[NewsArticles] [UB] [Outdoor Club] [WisRiv] [SR SP] [P. Johnson] [Prof. Johnson]