Last Wednesday (1/30), the Student Union Senate hosted aforum for members of EnCouncil and other students from the School ofEngineering and Applied Sciences who are concerned with the lack ofcommunication between the students and the school’s administration. Thestudents discussed a recent EnCouncil resolution addressing abrupt changes inthe schools curriculum, structure and faculty.
Hearing the engineering students speak eloquently andcandidly about how the lack of communication has impacted their experience atWash. U. moved me in a way that I don’t think I’ve ever been moved at a Senatemeeting. It surprised me that all types of engineering students, from freshmento seniors, from computer scientists to biomedical engineers, have been equallyaffected.
I am a member of Student Union primarily because I want toimprove the everyday lives of undergraduate students at the University. It isgreat that we can bring great programs and exciting speakers to campus, but Iam more interested in drastically improving the aspects of campus that studentsuse and experience every day. The lack of communication and collaboration thathas occurred during the implementation of changes in the Engineering School hasimpacted the lives of students more than just academically. Engineeringstudents at the meeting stressed that their experiences in the residentialcolleges and co-curricular activities have been directly affected as well.
It is important to note that there are no bad guys in thissituation. This is a matter of communication between students and theadministration that needs to be approached differently. The administration andstudents both have priorities, and those priorities don’t always perfectlyalign. The power of students on this campus is that we can use our collectivevoice to make the administration address our priorities.
This is notjust an issue for the Engineering School. Anytime a communication lapse occurs,and any student feels that her voice is not being heard, it affects us all. Iapplaud EnCouncil and the group of Concerned Engineering Students for takingthe lead on this issue. Writing and passing the resolution was only first step.Follow through from Student Union Senators and individual students is what willultimately make this issue a priority for the administration to address. Itdoesn’t matter if you’re a student in Engineering or in Art, Architecture,Business or Arts and Sciences. If you have any affiliation with this greatinstitution and want to see it remain a place where all undergraduates flourishthen I encourage YOU to get involved. Read the resolution that was passed andthe stories from engineering students. Send an email to the administration, andlet them know that YOU are concerned. When we show that this issue affects morethan just engineering students, then the administration will make it a priorityto address.
To view the resolution that EnCouncil passed two weeks ago,please go to:
http://encouncil.wustl.edu/downloads/Resolution20080124.pdf
To read stories from engineering students about how recentchanges have affected them and their undergraduate experience at WashU, pleasego to:
http://groups.google.com/group/engineers-speak-out
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| Artist: | The Cure |
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| Album: | Head on the Door |
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