Where do you draw the line between giving students information that is necessary for success at Boston University, and coddling them? The College of Communication Office of Student Services attempted to answer this question by creating ‘How To BU,’ a class that teaches students about everything from nutrition to proper handwashing techniques. Though the administration’s intentions ‘- informing students of the resources available to them ‘- are useful, implementing a mandatory class that only targets a specific college only wastes students’ time and university resources.
BU deserves credit for trying to increase awareness about extracurricular opportunities and university services. The university is often criticized for being too impersonal, causing students to feel neglected and unsure about what the university has to offer. BU can accomplish this goal in other ways than by mandating a weekly, hour-long class. Worse yet, because the evening course cannot be moved, some freshmen may be unable to register for a desired class or participate in an extracurricular activity, both of which would surely promote student unity more effectively than COM 102.
It is not worth inconveniencing hundreds of students to reiterate what has already been said at orientation. If there is information that COM Student Services feels is critical to relay to students in COM, then they should be able to take a few minutes during the already mandatory COM 101 to bring the issue to light.
The material presented to students during COM 102 is usually nothing groundbreaking. If students can’t find a quick answer on the Internet to their questions about different university services, then they should take the initiative and talk to someone who can point them in the right direction. If BU is making COM 102 a mandatory class, they are sending the condescending message that COM students do not have the ability to go out on their own and find information for themselves.
Another COM 102 objective is to ‘build a strong camaraderie among students in the Class of 2012,’ which follows BU President Robert Brown’s ‘One BU’ initiative to connect the different schools and colleges in the university. This cannot be accomplished if the only students involved are in COM.
There are better ways for BU to advertise the many programs it provides to students. Instead of passing on information to COM students alone, administrators should make BU’s programs visible in areas that involve a whole range of students, such as in the dining hall, George Sherman Union or at sporting events. Bringing helpful information to everyone in the university is more effective than alienating the many freshmen in COM who feel that their time is being wasted.
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Additionally, even if you don’t want to be there, the speakers at COM 102 are still our teachers and advisors and deserve our respectful attention.
I’m a COM ’12 student and I agree with what this article has to say. Furthermore, it looks like the Daily Free Press is the only forum by which we can comment on COM 102. Once, out teaching fellows opened up class to a chance to discuss the course itself and its goals. When we offered criticism, they closed their ears, shut down the discussion, and did not take our suggestions to heart.<p/>Martin Morales’ editorial, written in response to this article, is insulting.
I’m a COM ’12 student, and I agree completely. Furthermore, it appears as though the Daily Free Press is the only medium through which we can voice our disapproval, because when our teaching fellows opened up a forum through which we could discuss the class itself, we were invited to thoughtfully criticize the class and in response to this request we were shot down and unheard.