Provost Kathy Krendl's May 9 Dialogue on the Future with Ohio University graduate students was an exercise in futility. Though dialogue implies a sharing of ideas, Provost Krendl was seemingly none too interested in actually hearing from graduate students. Instead of asking for our input, graduate students were treated to an hour-long PowerPoint presentation replete with vague generalities that had nothing to do with the reality of graduate student life. For instance, Krendl regaled us with information concerning the University's strategic plan. Though OU's mission statement sounds mighty impressive, I can go to the Web site and read it for myself. Instead I wanted to know how Krendl can claim the university values graduate student education when graduate classes and stipends are being cut. While there was a question and answer period, Krendl avoided the meaty issues facing graduate student education.
There is a crisis brewing in all graduate programs across campus as stipends and graduate only classes are slashed. More and more graduate students are forced to attend the dreaded split course wherein a professor simultaneously teaches undergraduates and graduates in the same class. Sometimes a split course can be adequate, but when they constitute a majority of your coursework (which is where the current trend is heading) graduate student education suffers dramatically. What is even worse than this trend, however, is the utter failure of the administration and Krendl to even admit there is a problem.
What does this all mean for undergraduates? As graduates students are the graders in many undergraduate classes and even teach their own courses in some departments, the quality of undergraduate education will inevitably decline. This is something all students should be very concerned about as graduate education greatly influences undergraduate education. I attended the provost's Dialogue on the Future because I had great hopes that Krendl wanted to hear what graduate students had to say. I walked away grievously disappointed but undeterred. How about it, Provost Krendl? Let's have a real dialogue where you meet with a large cross-section of graduate students and listen to what we have to say and then act on our suggestions? Better yet, bring President McDavis. I will even buy the pizza this time.
-Jeff Bloodworth is a Ph.D. candidate in the history department and is affiliated with the Contemporary History Institute. Send him an e-mail at jb326200@ohiou.edu.
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Letter to the Editor
