Comments on: Campus diversity and a student voice http://chancellor.wisc.edu/forum/2008/12/campus-diversity-and-a-student-voice/ Join the conversation Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:35:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: S. Avery http://chancellor.wisc.edu/forum/2008/12/campus-diversity-and-a-student-voice/comment-page-1/#comment-714 S. Avery Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:30:49 +0000 http://chancellor.wisc.edu/forum/?p=37#comment-714 I am most concerned about the lack of equality in the number of African American students in comparison to white students. I am a native of Wisconsin. I grew up in Milwaukee in a racially mixed neighborhood. I am very concerned that the African American students have not been encouraged to expand their knowledge beyond the basics of a high school education. As more females seek to advance their knowledge to become more intellectual the males are far behind to the point of non-productivity. This is not only an issue of education divide but it has become a social issue for those between the ages of 18-50. There needs to be a greater balance for the female and male African American/black students who want to not only get a good education but also have an opportunity to strengthen their social circles into healthly relationships. UW is a great university but the university needs to improve the message of family values by focusing on improving the image of the African American/black population in the state. I am most concerned about the lack of equality in the number of African American students in comparison to white students. I am a native of Wisconsin. I grew up in Milwaukee in a racially mixed neighborhood. I am very concerned that the African American students have not been encouraged to expand their knowledge beyond the basics of a high school education. As more females seek to advance their knowledge to become more intellectual the males are far behind to the point of non-productivity. This is not only an issue of education divide but it has become a social issue for those between the ages of 18-50. There needs to be a greater balance for the female and male African American/black students who want to not only get a good education but also have an opportunity to strengthen their social circles into healthly relationships. UW is a great university but the university needs to improve the message of family values by focusing on improving the image of the African American/black population in the state.

]]> By: Jared Marx http://chancellor.wisc.edu/forum/2008/12/campus-diversity-and-a-student-voice/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Jared Marx Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:11:41 +0000 http://chancellor.wisc.edu/forum/?p=37#comment-13 One concern that I have which troubles me is the lack of teaching preparation for university instructors. I would like to see a proactive effort to provide instructors beginning at this university support for their teaching methods. This might include holding informative sessions providing them with various ways to teach in a multimodal manner, to recognize and support diversity and inclusion, hosting small group sessions to discuss various teaching pedagogical strategies and their viability, or even provide (mandatory) meetings to inform our instructors about the technology available to instructors on campus, how it can be used, and where its strengths lie. In this day and age, I find some things inexcusable for people who would call themselves educators at this university. In the past, I have had professors who do not know that they can email their all their students in a class with a single email and I have had professors who have lectured for 75 minutes straight without the use of a single alternative pedagogical device (including the projector screen in the class which could provide a backdrop of a picture). Technology is a great resource for teachers, and once incorporated as a teaching strategy is a great tool. That being said, I have also had instructors at this university which have taken advantage of various methods of instruction, and have actively developed their teaching skills. Those instructors have been the better instructors at this university. I am not here to say how poor our instructors are at this university, but rather to say we need more support for our instructors. One of the largest goals of this university is to instruct and guide students. How can we best do that if our instructors are not prepared to teach? Let us give our instructors support so that we can better help our student population. One concern that I have which troubles me is the lack of teaching preparation for university instructors. I would like to see a proactive effort to provide instructors beginning at this university support for their teaching methods. This might include holding informative sessions providing them with various ways to teach in a multimodal manner, to recognize and support diversity and inclusion, hosting small group sessions to discuss various teaching pedagogical strategies and their viability, or even provide (mandatory) meetings to inform our instructors about the technology available to instructors on campus, how it can be used, and where its strengths lie.

In this day and age, I find some things inexcusable for people who would call themselves educators at this university. In the past, I have had professors who do not know that they can email their all their students in a class with a single email and I have had professors who have lectured for 75 minutes straight without the use of a single alternative pedagogical device (including the projector screen in the class which could provide a backdrop of a picture). Technology is a great resource for teachers, and once incorporated as a teaching strategy is a great tool. That being said, I have also had instructors at this university which have taken advantage of various methods of instruction, and have actively developed their teaching skills. Those instructors have been the better instructors at this university.

I am not here to say how poor our instructors are at this university, but rather to say we need more support for our instructors. One of the largest goals of this university is to instruct and guide students. How can we best do that if our instructors are not prepared to teach? Let us give our instructors support so that we can better help our student population.

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