So, I'm really glad I didn't post over the past two days because it would have been a complete rant. I have been subject to a lot of lies and irresponsibility from people over this quarter and it just keeps getting worse. Upon reflection, this is what I've learned: Hypocrisy is EVERYWHERE. We go to school to learn about responsibility and yet the very people trying to teach us this are the very ones lying to us. You may say, "WHOA, TIGER! This is a class assignment!" Allow me to clarify.
This is my seventh and final quarter at South Seattle Community College and I have been nothing but impressed with the faculty. However, the staff at this school and throughout the District leave so much to be desired that I have changed my future goals in order to accommodate my and other's frustrations. I want to be an attorney now so that all the injustice and inequality that occurs at the community college level will come to a screeching halt. Plainly put, if it doesn't happen within the next five years, one of the first professional cases I will pursue will be a class action suit against the college, the Seattle Community College District and the State of Washington.
Just one example to illustrate. Student and Activity Fees. Do you know how much of your tuition goes to these ridiculous fees? What do you get out of it? When I recently applied for the "Let's Do Lunch!" program with ample time according to their flyer I was denied with the reason that they were out of tickets for the year. The flyer, by the way, states this is a free lunch and then goes on to explain that it is funded by this fee that is taken from us on a quarterly basis(?). So if I'm paying for it, how did they run out? And what happened to my money that I didn't use? The only other industry I know of that takes money for something we MIGHT use and gives us nothing in return if we don't is... wait for it... INSURANCE!!!
Okay, so this is still a rant, but a valid concern for all of us who struggle to pay for this "higher education" that, according to our President, should be an entitlement to all citizens.
Thoughts?
Adam,
ReplyDeleteI think your rants are valid, And what is frustrating to many students, and even employees within “the system” is a lack of transparency regarding funds. I suppose the transparency is there, that is if you really wanted to, you could track where the student and activity fees go to. That is, all the different programs on campus that these fees go to fund. However, I would suspect that the process of tracking this information would be exhausting.
The bigger issue, at least for me, is not simply about this particular campus, because we have to remember that the funds don't go just to this campus, but they are part of a larger system. so the problem really comes down to the larger system, and how that system deals with tuition, monies to run the educational Institutes, monies to pay for everything, and so on and so forth.
Education should be an affordable entity in reality for all citizens. If you're going to a public institution, we should be able to know where fees and tuition go to, what happens to the money, and this info should be transparently disclosed to everybody within the community–not only students. After all, it is a public entity. So if you go into law, I would suggest you examine this. As with all things in life, all things political in nature especially, as a wise person once said: follow the money. Rebecca
Rebecca,
DeleteNice "Deep Throat" reference... You're exactly right and that is my point. We should be able to know where our money goes and for what. I can't believe more students haven't picked up on this, but then we don't really have a say in the matter. If we want to attend school we MUST pay these fees. I've heard some of the students complain about this, but when I hear a student complain in a "whiny" fashion I tune them out, personally. I need to hear reasonable and logical arguments. It also must mean something to the student.
I have had to listen to a lot of students lately talk about all the money they're receiving that they don't even need and so to these people it simply does not matter. That to me just raises other issues of how this system is being built and run? How can I struggle so hard and they get disposable cash just handed to them? And, of course, if this is happening here it is happening elsewhere and still the large majority are probably just unaware or apathetic to the problem.
There are also other loopholes big enough to drive a truck through, but only so much time to write about them here...
Thanks for your comments.
-AdRock