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My Professional Writing Papers

Technical Writing ·  Exposition & Argumentation ·  Non-fiction Creative Essays ·  Grammar and Usage of Standard English ·  The Structure of English ·  Analysis of Shakespeare

Analysis of Literary Language ·  Advanced Professional Papers ·  The History of the English Language ·  First Internship: Tutoring in a Writing Workshop ·  Second Internship: Advanced Instruction: Tutoring Writing

Visual Literacy Seminar (A First Course in Methodology) ·  Theories of Communication & Technology (A Second Course in Methodology) ·  Language in Society (A Third Course in Methodology) ·  The Writer's Guild

Journalism

UMBC'S Conservative Newspaper: "The Retriever's Right Eye" ·  Introduction to Journalism ·  Feature Writing ·  Science Writing Papers

Articles Written for UMBC's University Newspaper: "The Retriever Weekly"

Local Article 2 ·  Local Article 3 ·  Local Article 4 ·  Local Article 5 ·  Local Article 6 ·  Local Article 7 ·  Local Article 8 ·  Local Article 9 ·  Local Article 10 ·  Local Article 11

Opinion Article 1 ·  Opinion Article 2 ·  Opinion Article 3 ·  Opinion Article 4 ·  Opinion Article 5 ·  Opinion Article 6 ·  Opinion Article 7 ·  Opinion Article 8 ·  Opinion Article 9 ·  Opinion Article 10 ·  Opinion Article 11 ·  Opinion Article 12 ·  Opinion Article 13

Trying to Graduate In Four Years? It's Much Easier Said Than Done

Reshma Desai, Retriever Staff Writer, published November 11, 2003

Surbhi Seth, A University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) junior majoring in Financial Economics, find that graduating in four years is a difficult task. "As you know, they don't offer many classes both semesters and there are not many classes with a variety of sections, and with the increase in incoming students... everything put together... it makes it pretty hard for us to graduate on time." Like many others, she intends to take summer classes and get some requirements out of the way. Seth has 58 credits so far and is taking nineteen this semester. There shouldn't be so many general foundation requirements, "especially when we know what we want to study," said Seth.

         Shruti Kashyap, a junior at UMBC, agrees. Kashyap is doing a double major in Financial Economics and Philosophy, along with a minor in Psychology. "I think it'd be much easier if even some of the requirements for a major were deemed optional. Offer students exams to get credit for some classes, for instance. I mean I know the material of the beginning economics courses because I learned the stuff in high school, but even AP credit only excuses you from taking a few entry level courses," commented Kashyap.

         According to Connie Pierson, senior research analyst for UMBC's Office of Institutional Research (OIR), the percentage of students that graduated within four years of admittance was 27.5% for 1999. "Our graduation rates are based on incoming cohorts of Full-Time Degree-Seeking New Freshmen... [As for credit loads] the average undergrad in Fall 2002 attempted 13 credits and earned 11. The average full-time undergrad took 14.9 credits and earned 12.6 credits," Pierson stated.

         Nowadays, it is not unusual to find many students graduating in more than four years. Marilyn Demorest, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at UMBC, thinks it is equally important to look at the six year graduation rate. "Everyone thinks of the four year graduation rate first, but many schools use a measurement of how many students graduate in six years... which is a more common scenario." At UMBC, the percentage of students who graduate in six years is 53%. "That number only includes first-time, full-time freshmen. If we took into account transfer students who come from somewhere else or tracked students who started out at UMBC and then transferred out, the number would be higher... in the 60's," said Demorest. Of course, there are many reasons as to why the four and six year graduation rates are low. "Many students are part-time and work, some drop out... they work and go off to school off and on," Demorest noted.

         In Demorest's opinion, the statistics still need to improve. "There is one major factor as to why the rates are so low: program offerings. We ask students who transfer out of UMBC why they left and the response is that we don't have many programs or that they can find a better program elsewhere. UMBC, for example, has no business school. However, we're trying to implement new things all the time. There is a process that schools have to go through when they want to start a new program. First, the idea is taken to the campus community, then the Board of Regents, and finally to the Maryland Higher Education Commission," she added.

         Within the past few years, UMBC has indeed done many things to attract students and to keep them from going elsewhere. There has been an increase in the number of certificate programs offered, as well as the addition of new majors and degrees for students to choose from. The school now offers a B.A. in Environmental Studies, B.S. degrees in Environmental Sciences and Psychology, and a major in Bioinformatics, said Demorest. Recently established certificate programs are available in Women's Studies. American Contemporary Music, Cartography, and the Human Context of Science and Technology.

Letter to the Editor: Rebuttal to "It's Much Easier Said Than Done"

Christopher Paul, published November 11, 2003

In reaction to reading Reshma Desai's article "Trying to Graduate in Four Years?" refuses to address the most important issue. Ecconomics. It is economically advantageous to create an atmosphere by which it almost virtually impossible to graduate in four years. Four years equates to eight semesters. Eight semesters will cost $26,400. The average credit hour requirement to receive your bachelor degree in anything is 120 credit hours. The average student would have to take 15 credits per semester, two semesters each year, in order to graduate in four years.

         How do you draw more money into an academic institution? One, have your professors pile the work on, knowing full well that students who attend a state school are not senator's sons or daughters and work for a living. Now the students can only successfully complete their academic requirements by taking the minimum required credits (twelve credit hours) to qualify for financial aid. This keeps the student on campus longer and also drains the federal government loan programs.

         Next, as other student's in the article cited, they cannot take the courses they need to graduate because they are not offered on a regular basis. I am a Statistics/Mathematics Dual Major; therefore my plight is even worse. My required courses in Statistics are offered every other year. The claim is that there are not enough students to offer required courses every year. Appealing to your sense of logic, this means that in order to maintain full time status and maintain your government funding, one must take courses in other fields while waiting for your required courses to come around.

         What's a student to do? While you're waiting, take up a minor, or how about three minors and a Dual Major. Now you're in for six years of study.

         What is the cost? Six years is 12 semesters, only most students can only produce their best work with a twelve credit load. For sixteen semesters the grand total of $36,600 being optimistic.

         Just one more hitch. The federal government has an aggregate loan limit of $46,000 to earn a Bachelor's degree, no strings, just pay it all back that's all. This is how the institution makes money and most schools are doing the same thing. My hat's off to you! You sure know how to make a buck!