Diversity is Divisive

At my institution, we have recently hired two new administrators. Both appear to be competent. Neither was in the top tier of applicants. Both are minorities. I suspect that both will do well. However, we did not get the BEST people for the jobs. I was on one of the search committees. We scoured about 100 applications and listed our four best, as requested. We were told that we should add a minority to at least interview, because it would "look better." We consented. We added the best-qualified minority, who was not nearly as qualified as the four initially chosen. Guess who got the job? (We were suckered)

On the more general topic of diversity, it seems to me that too much effort is put into celebrating DIFFERENCES. I do not suggest that all national cultures become homogeneous. However, the "melting pot" was a good idea and it worked. There is less "melting" going on and too much emphasis upon differences; in language, values, appearance etc. This nation is the best on earth. It was no accident. Our common values (and language) have served us well. I do not want to lose that. English may not be the "best" language but it is still the ONLY language of maximum opportunity. We do citizens a disservice when we allow them to marginally function in a language other than English. They are economically "doomed." It's not complicated.

Death of the Stand-Up Lecturer

I am old enough to remember the joke. "Where did you get your degree? From correspondence courses?" Now we call such courses "on-line".(they are really e-mail courses but "on-line" sounds more legitimate.) Most of them are correspondence courses without stamps. Sadly, many people take them seriously now. Real-time, virtual classroom, multi-webcam courses are in our future, but not yet. Ever take an email course? Odds are you got either an A or an F. The A was simply for logging on. An F was because you never "showed up."

I have been a stand-up, lecturing college professor for more than thirty-five years. I am a dinosaur. I have never even given a SCANTRON test. At my institution we actually offer a course in (I kid you not) public speaking "on-line." I have never "taught" an e-mail course. Only my seniority saves me. Brick and mortar campuses will die out. (converted to mini-storage facilities?)

I understand the economic (cheaper) and convenience factors. A few courses can and should be offered via email. However, in my experience, it is usually the worst "teachers" who embrace this trend. I wonder if they ever really wanted to "teach". A TSA baggage-checker (no high school diploma required) could do what they do, and maybe better. It's not complicated. What are we paying these people serious money to do? They are certainly not teaching. I get "high" when I walk into a classroom. These email "teachers" cringe at the thought. If you have ever taken an email class, did you get your money's worth? How much did you learn, and if you DID learn, was it because of your self-discipline or because of the "teacher"? Thinking back, will your favorite professor be the one you never met?