The same problem has developed here at a large, public, community college.
I am afraid it is not a statistical aberration. It seems to have grown
for the last several years. The crest, I fear, is not yet in sight.
Part of the problem, I think, is that the college has increasingly marketed
itself as a ticket to high-paying technical and professional jobs. The
students (many of them) are not here to learn, but to get those jobs.
Faculty from various disciplines are reporting students who claim "you work
for me," "you cannot tell me which course to take" (from students who
cannot pass the pre-requisites, but want to take the course they "need" for
their degree), and even "I paid for this course; you can't fail me."
Road's in front o' me,
Nothin' to do but walk.
Langston Hughes
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