Spring Break
Help Univ. improve education
Issue date: 11/13/08 Section: Opinions
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The University has a new committee that wants to hear about it.
The Student Government Association is helping the University gather student input for a Student Learning Enhancement Team.
The team is made up of students, alumni, faculty and staff representatives who will develop an initiative to significantly enhance the student learning experience.
Throughout the rest of this semester, expect to find an online questionnaire on the MyUGA portal, see advertisements for residence hall programs and receive e-mails via listserv, in addition to other outreach efforts.
SGA will have a booth outside Tate Center on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon, where questionnaires will be available for students to give their input on how to improve student learning.
The questionnaires don't take long to complete, and we hope you'll take advantage of the opportunity to make your voice heard.
What will the University do with your feedback? Here are a few examples of what other universities have done after completing a similar process.
At Georgia Tech, they created an "International Plan" that includes curriculum matching with institutions in other countries and additional research and interning opportunities abroad.
At Florida State, they founded a new leadership center to engage students outside the classroom.
At North Carolina State, they conducted in-depth research on how technology enhances the student learning experience and began implementing their findings.
What will the University do? That depends on what we tell them.
But improving your quality of education isn't the only reason you should care about the Student Learning Enhancement Team.
The value of your diploma when you graduate also will be affected by the changes it implements.
The team is part of the University's effort to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, a group that ensures schools are providing quality education for their students.
This accreditation is what gives our degrees value outside the University.
The next reaffirmation of the University's accreditation is scheduled for 2011, and will depend in part on the initiative that the Student Learning Enhancement Team is planning now.
For more information on the Student Learning Enhancement Team and ways you can give input, go to www.sli.uga.edu.
The Web site also provides information on what other schools have done using the same kind student, faculty, staff and alumni responses our University is seeking.
Be on the lookout next semester for open meetings where you can provide feedback on the proposed initiative before it is implemented.
E-mail us at ugasga@uga.edu, go to our Web site, www.uga.edu/sga, or attend one of our weekly meetings in the Miller Learning Center to let us know how we can help improve your learning experience on campus.
- Brian Mink is the press secretary of the Student Government Association.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Words to the wise
posted 11/13/08 @ 2:50 PM EST
Brian, you're obviously not a journalism major, because (as one favorite Grady professor would say) "that's one lead that needs to be taken out behind the barn and shot. (Continued…)
University of Phoenix
posted 3/25/09 @ 2:05 PM EST
There are a lot of things I could say or suggest for a better education, I don't even know what to start with. I think the most important that Universities should be focused on is challenging students toward reaching better performances, offer them rewards (not only material rewards but also recognize their efforts and distinguish them among others), let everybody know they have a chance and the list goes on and on. (Continued…)
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