Brinkley, James: Beloit List

Academic environments consist of distinct criteria and social norms by which students and faculty must abide. Unfortunately, there is an ever-growing generation gap between academic  faculties and the students they teach. Older faculty members must become accustomed to a world that constantly changes its methods. Teaching and learning are vague concepts and they are annually approached in different directions by students and faculty. Modern students and faculty born before 1980 share similarities, but time has put a rift between them as well.

                   

The roles of a student and faculty are constants in the world of academics; students learn and faculties teach. Their roles have changed over the last few decades, a professor born before 1980 may be accustomed to teaching small, personal classes. Today, a college student can expect to learn amongst a massive number of peers, and may be lucky to even come into close contact with the professor. There are a continually growing number of people attending college. Classes naturally grow larger with a rising attendance, but modern student-to-teacher ratios are higher than they’ve ever been. In addition, professors are faced with learning how to utilize a variety of new technologies, such as Southern Arkansas University’s Blackboard and Campus Connect programs. Similarly, both generations are capable of participating in new methods of teaching, such as online classes.  Although, older professors are required to accept the new methods as an alternate way of teaching, alongside the standard face-to-face teaching they’ve always known. Young students, having been born into the modern world, see digital education as an ideal and primary way to learn, pushing aside any non-electronic methods of education.  Many students can’t identify with a world where small classes and in-class gatherings were the only options to learn. For example, I’m required to check my online email and Blackboard account whenever I need to manage my academic affairs. I’m certain that my older professors were forced to change their teaching methods when such technologies were introduced to the education process.

                   

Despite technology and rising attendance, other factors have contributed to the warp in academics. Culture is a massive aspect in the lives of everyone and is always impinging on education. Students and older professors may hold common beliefs that have always been intertwined into society, such as refusing to commit crimes. Though, society has changed over the last few decades and ethical rules are not as potent as they used to be. For example, professors must always be wary of students cheating. There have always been students willing to cheat, but the situation has now become ridiculous. As a student, I have come across peers who put more time and energy into cheating than doing work. Then again, I have met several other students who would rather take the honest path. Similarly in this regard, a few students and most professors born before 1980 approach academics with integrity and appreciate the hard work involved with education. On a different topic, media are a potent factor that changed today’s culture from the form it took three decades ago. Media influence the thoughts of both students and professors, thoughts that are brought into a university and determine how the education process takes place. Ultimately, media's spin on politics and technology affects students born today and professors born before 1980 differently. Although, people will always be attentive to the media.

Today’s students and professors born before 1980 have experienced separate eras of culture. Both versions of culture place value on aspects of everyday life, but they place it on different things.  Those differences have caused certain rifts, but the roles of students and professors will always be the same.