2008 Woodie Awards
SectionsOur View: GEP requirement removal sign of times
The Standard Editorial Board
Issue date: 1/18/08 Section: Opinion
It was only a matter of time before the university decided to eliminate the GEP?requirement from the catalog.
GEP 397, the capstone course intended to take the public affairs mission to new levels, was a good idea, in theory.
But in practice, it mostly just frustrated students.
And not in the good way that challenges intellectually, but in the "I don't get what this class is supposed to be" way.
It was mostly the brainchild of President John Keiser, and, well, he's not here anymore.
The idea of a capstone course is good. And the variety of options with that course is good.
But focusing on individual departments could still incorporate the values of public affairs if that's what we want.
Showing how vastly different concentrations fit together is one thing. But then explaining how the fact that those topics fit together was an indication that our different concentrations were all intertwined in the affairs of the public, well, that's kind of a stretch.
This should also free up faculty to teach courses within the department.
Capstone courses that were departmentally themed would also allow for this.
There are a variety of views on the removal of this requirement ranging from "I wish I?hadn't already taken it" to "They should have done this along time ago" to "Hooray!"
Thank you to the Faculty Senate for having the foresight to see that this program wasn't going anywhere.
GEP 397, the capstone course intended to take the public affairs mission to new levels, was a good idea, in theory.
But in practice, it mostly just frustrated students.
And not in the good way that challenges intellectually, but in the "I don't get what this class is supposed to be" way.
It was mostly the brainchild of President John Keiser, and, well, he's not here anymore.
The idea of a capstone course is good. And the variety of options with that course is good.
But focusing on individual departments could still incorporate the values of public affairs if that's what we want.
Showing how vastly different concentrations fit together is one thing. But then explaining how the fact that those topics fit together was an indication that our different concentrations were all intertwined in the affairs of the public, well, that's kind of a stretch.
This should also free up faculty to teach courses within the department.
Capstone courses that were departmentally themed would also allow for this.
There are a variety of views on the removal of this requirement ranging from "I wish I?hadn't already taken it" to "They should have done this along time ago" to "Hooray!"
Thank you to the Faculty Senate for having the foresight to see that this program wasn't going anywhere.
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