Monday, May 31, 2010

College & University's Rip Off

My daughter's a sophmore in college at a major university.  First it's rediculous what the tuition is, but what makes that worse is the fact that so many of her "professors" aren't really professors.  They are "part time lecturers" or worse graduate students.  I don't pay over $3,000 a course for her to be taught by non-professional teachers.  I pay that kind of money so she can get the best education!  No so somebody can get part time money or pay off some of their tuition by teaching! 

The other problem - and this problem is occuring everywhere - not just in college - is that the teachers are not engllish as a first language professors.  Or to be policically incorrect - they're not Americans.  Why do we have foreigners teaching in our institutions when I'm sure there are enough qualified American born teachers looking for the opportunity to be a professor.  Her hardest courses (for her) math have all been taught by part-time, non-engligh speaking "teachers".  The subject is hard enough for her, but then she has to deal with the problem of actually understanding them when they are lecturing. 

Would it be too much to ask to have english speaking professors in an American institution????  Is is that hard to find qualified American teachers?  Maybe this is why our country is behind in math and science compared to the rest of the civilized world.  Because the institutions don't provide adequate instruction from elementary school on.  The worse teachers my daughter has had have been math and science teachers.  Then she gets to college and the same thing happens again. 

Maybe instead of spending millions in sports stadiums and gyms and "pretty" buildings the universities could spend the money on hiring qualified teachers that the students are actually able to speak english and be actual teachers.  Teaching is something that is learned, just because you're good at something does not mean you are able to actually teach it.  It's like being a coach in a sport - just because you can play the sport well does not mean that you can teach it.  For example:  Magic Johson of the Los Angeles Lakers was a fabulous basketball player.  When he retired from playing, he attempted to be a coach.  It didn't work out.  Teaching is the same - just because you can be a mathmetician, doesn't mean you can teach it. 

So on top of the $3,000 for each course, I am having to pay additional for tutoring (outside of the university) so she can understand the material.  Why outside the university - because their tutoring is again, not done by teachers - it's done by students that want to earn extra money.  And again, just because they passed the course previously does not mean they can teach somebody else how to do it. 

I just want to get what I'm paying for - if you give me a graduate student or a part time non professor - then charge me less because I'm getting less than I paid for!!

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