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Show NEWS NOVEMBER 5, 2012 A3 Courses stuck on replay Multiple classes based on the same information frustrates students trying to graduate on time By Nicole Shepard News Writer @NicoleEShepard With tuition on the rise, students in the humanities and social sciences the of repetitive required classes. Some of the departments that make up the College of Humanities and Social Sciences require that their students take what seems to be the same class multiple times. The only recognizable difference is the class titles. "If you're a journalism student you should really worry about how the program is being run," said student Emily Stephenson. "I'm so fed up with the Communication Department. [We need to] find out who is responsible for the conflicting conducting of the department." In the Communication Department, students are required to take editing for the mass media, writing for the mass media and reporting for the mass media. All three courses discuss article structure, the Associated Press Style Guide and writing and editing processes. In all three classes, similar assignments and quizzes are given from the same texts. "It's not on purpose. But it isn't right. I don't think that was the intent," said Scott Carrier, assistant journalism professor. "I think it was the mistake on the professors' part. I think we deserve the blame for that." Paul Skousen, adjunct instructor in the Communication Department, says that it doesn't hurt to have refreshers, but only if the classes are building on one another. "I don't know what's being taught in other classes," Skousen said. "I try to read my classes, which is dangerous. The more advanced students are bored to tears, and I can see that they've learned the material before, but there are students in the class that have never heard any of this before. It's as frustrating for the instructor as for the students if half the class has glazedover eyes and the other half looks confused, you can't know if what you're teaching is effective." When the professors, as opposed to the department, wholly decide the curriculum and course goals, keeping track of what students have and have not learned is difficult. "As the famous line from 'Cool Hand Luke' says, 'What we've got here is failure to communicate,'" Carrier said. "But it's good that the students are asking. It's good that they want more [from UVU]. They should." Tuition costs and graduating on time are concerns that students have about taking these repetitive classes. "It's a complete waste of time and money," said Jessika Larsson, student. "I'm a senior this year and I'll be a senior next year too, just waiting to get all these lower division classes I didn't know about done before I can finish up all my upper division classes." It's not only the Communica- tion students dealing with this problem. It's in the Behavioral Science Department as well. Students with the Family Studies emphasis are required to take marriage relationship skills, relationship enhancements programs and applied marriage. Students in these classes say that these classes use the same curriculum and texts. "What's frustrating for me is they cost me money, they cost me time and I don't learn anything new," said Brittany Plothow, student. "I have to take these three classes, which puts me semesters behind and instead of spending that time learning something new. I can't afford the time or the money to keep this up." Some students worry about what this means for their education when semester after semester consists of learning the same material. "Students need to know that they can still get a good education here," Carrier said. "They just need to accept their responsibility. They need to read and study on their own, find their own mentors, form networks. You can't wait for the teacher to hand you your education." ROBIN SESSIONS/UVU REVIEW GI SAMUEL MERRITT UNIVERSITY HAVE DINNER ON US! IP" HOSTED BY THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF PODIATRIC MEDICINE (CSPM) AT SAMUEL MERRITT UNIVERSITY SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012 Begins @ 5:00 PM SPRINGHILL SUITES PROVO 1580 NORTH FREEDOM BLVD PROVO, UT 84604 PLEASE BE OUR GUEST FOR DINNER AND INFORMAL CONVERSATION ABOUT CSPM AND THE PROFESSION OF PODIATRY. SEVERAL KEY ADMINISTRATORS WILL BE ON HAND TO SPEAK WITH YOU AND ANSWER QUESTIONS. ALTHOUGH CHILD CARE WILL NOT BE PROVIDED, THIS IS A FAMILY EVENT AND FAMILY MEMBERS ARE WELCOME. RSVP WITH YOUR NAME AND THE TOTAL NUMBER IN YOUR PARTY (INCLUDE CHILDREN) TO asingleton@samuelmerritt.edu BY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH. QUESTIONS? PLEASE CALL ANDRE SINGLETON @ 510-869-6511 EXT 4297. ROBIN SESSIONS/UVU REVIEW Some students wonder why their courses teach the same material. CARE. LEARN. TRANSFORM. Afm. Arc you intorostod in a carocr as a Seminary and Institute teacher? Do you want to be a more effective teacher or the gospel? Attend the Seminarg Teaching Information Seminar Tuesda,y, Nov 13 11 am or 4 pm Orem LDS Institute, room 165 .. For additional information call 801.764.3035 or visit: seminarg.Ids.org/careers or Seminarg Teacher Training Office, room 131 Orem Institute " 41.4111 ; .4, 4 |