We, the people of the United States…and of the state of Illinois, and of the city of Chicago, desire a more perfect education. And by perfect, I mean an education that is worth the paper it is printed on, an education that will provide the skills to “lead in the world.” Or, more simply stated, an education that will lead to a productive job, a challenging career and a fulfilling vocation. That is not too much to ask.
What is too much to ask is that students be burdened with educational bureaucracy and inefficient institutional requirements that delay the graduation process and hamper the learning experience.
Perhaps it was in this vain that the NEIU Faculty Council on Academic Affairs approved a change in the graduation requirements. A Feb. 24 university announcement from Provost Lawrence Frank stated, “Effective Fall 2010, new and continuing students will no longer be required to meet the constitution requirement to graduate.”
Prior to this change, adopted in a December 2009 meeting, undergraduate students at NEIU could fulfill the graduation requirement by taking Political Science course 216, American National Government or taking a two-hour constitution exam. The political science course, as the title implies, teaches students about the institutions and processes of the U.S. federal government. The constitution test measured student’s knowledge on the same and included questions about Illinois state government.
Knowledge of the Constitution is vital in “preparing graduates for the exercise of good citizenship,” one of NEIU’s stated values. And it is still required in the American education system. The previous NEIU requirement was based on Illinois Senate Bill 195 which states, “All undergraduate students enrolled in state universities must meet the requirements of Senate Bill 195 which requires knowledge of the U.S. and Illinois State Constitutions.” However, nationally, this information is required at lower levels of education. Public high schools around the U.S. teach American government classes and even GED requirements include a constitution test. By the time students enter the university, they should know the basic tenets of the U.S. constitution and American government.
In spite of all the problems with the American public education system, there is the benefit of well-rounded and comprehensive learning. Public university students in all fields will take courses in literature, math and science. While these take time away from studying in a specified vocation, they do provide a meaningful foundation for further study in any field. However, since students are already getting a rounded general education curriculum, there is no need to further hamper the process with more bureaucratic requirements.
Currently, NEIU still requires students to take the English Competency Exam (ECE). However, like the old constitution requirement, the ECE requirement is redundant. Students are already required to take English courses as part of their undergraduate general education requirements. Also, students who entered NEIU as of fall 2008 are required to take a Writing Intensive requirement within their major. However, NEIU students will still need to take a two-hour freshman level essay exam before they can graduate.
Further, if a transfer student has somehow managed to make it to senior year at NEIU without taking a fine arts class, (another NEIU graduation requirement), they should be prepared to sign up. For a senior level biology major hoping to graduate, a 100-level art class that can easily amount to an extra couple hundred dollars in required equipment fees can surely be a needless delay.
NEIU Registrar Alice Medenwald said of the change to the constitution requirement, “By no means do we believe this knowledge is irrelevant. It is more about shortening the time to graduation.” Shorter time to graduation is something many students can agree on. However, the distance between fun freshman-year classes and the final destination of field mastery and graduation could mean student are missing out.
Studies show that it takes 10,000 hours of practice in any field to become a master of that field. That amounts to approximately eight hours a day, five days a week for five years. In the case of college studies, that would be the equivalent of 10 hours of classes per week plus out-of-class studying time, for five years. Without a graduate degree program, that mastery could be achieved with four years as an undergraduate student and approximately three years of working in the field.
If a more perfect education is one that leads to field mastery that will ensure a job, career or vocation, it would be beneficial for students at NEIU to focus on their major as early as possible. However, college students spend two years taking general courses that may or may not be related to their major field of study. The only thing that can be mastered after four years of studying is how to be an effective college student. However, if the goal is to work in a specific field, the general education requirements do nothing for preparing students to work or “lead in the world.”
General education requirements are valuable and should not go away completely. However, graduation requirements are currently so inflexible that students spend more time finding their department’s updated checklist that they miss out on the opportunity to really learn.
There are those that would argue for keeping strict graduation requirements. However, these arguments presuppose that students would not take the initiative to learn on their own. But it would be safe to say that any student that studies economics or political science for several years non-stop would cherish the opportunity to take a creative writing class or a sculpture building workshop. Similarly, music majors may want to take a marketing class that could help them propel their career in the future.
Hard-working students that are focused on graduation and career goals will also be those that have initiative will take advantage of courses in a wide range of fields. Those students will be driven and focused enough to understand the benefits of a well rounded education. However, strictly imposed, redundant requirements for graduation actually stifle the growing process which should also be part of the university learning experience.