The longer you stay in one place, the more you learn about it. Sometimes you learn things you don’t want to know.
Last week, the Torch revealed that Wittenberg is up for an evaluation to ensure we’re in compliance with the Ohio Department of Higher Education standards when it comes to how many credit hours are awarded to students. We’re not. The article also offered solutions, like extending the bell schedule and stretching the academic calendar by adding another week of classes. I hope the extended schedule is only a temporary solution. Why not switch to the three-credit hour system? It’d make life a lot easier for everyone when it comes to transfer credits, and course options (taking five classes a semester on average instead of four), and I hope the board is considering it. As a student, I have no way to know if that’s a long-term goal or not.
But here’s my thing. To learn that the Ohio guidelines were changed nearly six years ago, and we’re only now scrambling for a solution, is shocking. It scares me to think about what other points of concern our administration may unintentionally be waiting to address. Yes, I understand we’re in debt, in the middle of a lawsuit, and last week, we had nearly six academic programs up for debate in order to try to save money. I get it; there are more pressing issues than making sure we’re sticking to the state’s requirements.
It’s not like we earn any state or federal aid by adhering to these guidelines or anything.
I’m frustrated that my home for the last four years has been letting students go into the world who, theoretically, don’t meet the normalized credit requirement to earn a bachelor’s degree by state standards. As a double major, I’m fine, but I’m concerned about the future validity of my degrees. Couple that with the financial (in)stability of the university, and I’m worried my school may not exist for much longer if things like the accreditation question, the potential program cuts and the number of vacating staff keep coming up.
I’ll admit, I don’t know or understand all of what’s going on in our administration. But my work with the Torch has revealed a lot of things I didn’t want to know. In retrospect, however, it’s important information and strong stories that the Torch has been pursuing, and I’m so grateful to my fellow writers for their efforts.
But the fact that I watch my peers struggle to report on a weekly basis points to a larger problem here at Wittenberg: transparency.
I’ll accept it might not be every student’s desire to know what happens in board meetings, but the administration and the university board should be more open about the issues we’re facing as a community. The people paying their salaries are students. Why keep quiet about the situations we’re in? Why avoid interviews? We’re smart, paying people, here for an education. I think we have a right to know what’s really happening on campus, so maybe we can voice our concerns and help generate solutions.
