University of Virginia Library

Three years ago I wrote you
a letter complaining about
contradictory course
requirements in the College,
and I stated that I was going to
do as I pleased to further my
education, regardless of the
consequences.

I learned two things: first,
that it didn't matter in the
slightest to the University
bureaucracy what I did or
thought, that students are a
cheap commodity here and
their interests are consulted
only when someone in the
bureaucracy condescends to do
so; and second, that concepts
of education are not embodied
in the required curriculum,
because the curriculum is
formed by consensus, and
everyone's compromise is to
permit the other fellow to do
as little as he wishes in subjects
he despises, in order that he
himself may do the same. What
I will learn from writing this
letter I am almost afraid to
find out.

I am enrolled in ENRN 25,
a course in Milton, which is
supposed to take place on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays at noon and end at
12:50. There are also supposed
to be three discussion sections
for the course, one following
each regular session. I am
enrolled in the Wednesday
discussion section.

The instructor has
arbitrarily decided to do away
with the Friday regular session
and all three discussion
sections. Instead he conducts
the regular class on Monday
and Wednesday from noon to
1:30. My difficulty is that I
have an Economics discussion
section at 1:00 Mondays.

I am willing to miss a half
hour of his Monday class, if I
must. But when I brought the
matter to him, he demanded
that I either drop his course or
my Economics discussion
section. This is good news one
week after the deadline to add
courses!

I am willing to do neither,
and do not believe an
instructor should be allowed to
make adjustments in his
schedule without the approval
of every student in his class.
If this proposition is
unreasonable I would like to
know what the alternative is.
The Registrar forces us to fit
our educational goals into time
blocks. We understand that
classroom space, instructors,
and students must be
coordinated in time, so we
cooperate.

If my instructor's precedent
catches on, students will be
able to assign their instructors
to the time and place that suits
them. The Garrett Hall
computer will explode.