THE UNIVERSITY'S faculty is upset about a new program, and with good reason. The administration recently adopted Semester at Sea, a study abroad program that makes a cruise ship a "floating campus" as students tour the ocean.
The idea for the program itself is innovative. Students, mainly from the College, will be able not only to take classes, but also to apply what they learn at their destinations. However, the poor planning and lack of consideration of most of the faculty leaves much to be desired of both the administration and the program. Semester at Sea example is an example of what the administration should not do when adopting a study abroad program.
Leigh Grossman, vice provost of international affairs, said that the Faculty Senate was informed of the decision to adopt Semester at Sea multiple times, and the decision was reviewed by the administration and four faculty chairs. However, the complaint levied by the faculty listed concerns addressed by multiple faculty members.
Additionally, many faculty members were not properly consulted. According to history Prof. Jeff Rossman, approval of the Semester at Sea program formally bypassed the Faculty Senate.
The program was adopted with less planning time than most summer abroad programs, which gives faculty little time to evaluate and reach a decision on granting credit for the classes on Semester at Sea.
According to Karen Ryan, professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures and Assoc. College dean, the summer of 2006 will be a transition period for the program, during which the University will not have control over the courses taught at Semester at Sea next summer.
While students going on the Semester at Sea program in 2007 and beyond will have an academic dean as well as evaluation for the courses on the ship, students who have already planned to go this summer may still receive no credit for their courses.
The administration should have fully considered the amount of time and effort that Semester at Sea program would need before adopting it.
To get past its rocky start, the program needs many more improvements if it is to be accepted by the University and have smooth sailing. In a faculty and administration discussion last week, Ryan mentioned that the Semester at Sea classes were mainly "light" and "high on entertainment value," while Frank Papovich, assistant dean of international studies, explained that the University didn't even accept credit from Semester at Sea for many years due to its "horrible reputation."
Semester at Sea should be allowed enough time for proper evaluation and improvement, which will take much more effort than a significant number of other study abroad programs.
Semester at Sea should be given enough time for evaluation so that all students will experience the same academic rigor they expect at the University. Unfortunately, the Semester at Sea program will need many months, a much more organized plan and additional time and money to get the program out of the sub par shape that it is in right now.
There is a possibility that it will take much longer than planned to turn a "superficial" program with "a "horrible reputation" into a respectable study abroad program.
The faculty is the best resource for evaluating the seaworthiness of academic programs, both within the University and abroad.
The University's administration had meetings and started to work with the faculty last week to make sure that Semester at Sea is up to the University's standards, but consulting the faculty late isn't much better than never.
Before study abroad programs are adopted in the University, the administration needs to make sure that all relevant departments are able to evaluate summer programs with ample time.
Only talking with the faculty heads is not enough -- all of the faculty should be aware of new study abroad programs well before the program is adopted and able to have ample enough time to adjust to it. It takes more than one sailor to navigate a boat.
Adam Silverberg's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at asilverberg@cavalierdaily.com.
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