Reason for recruits to come to GT.

GT1992

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
161
dressedcheeseside said:
Be careful not to drift into the territory of STEM snobbery. True there are some schools that have created degree programs for the purpose of housing athletes, but lets try not to confuse that with legitimate liberal arts higher education which has been around since the founding of the first University.

I think the key thing to examine when judging the legitimacy of degree programs is what percentage of the students enrolled in these programs are SA's and what happens to graduates of these programs. A little research can enlighten. The ND film degree, for example, is for students seeking careers in the film and tv industries and the vast majority of these students are not SA's. A recent ND graduate was a grand jury prize winner at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. SA's interested in broadcast sports journalism are a natural fit.

I'm as proud of my GT degree as anybody. But I don't think it is right to discredit liberal arts en masse or lump them all in with the fiasco at UNC. Colleges and Universities around the world used to be places where young people went to grow their intellect and broaden their perspectives as well as train for a specific field. At some places it still is.
Click to expand...

I think I mentioned specific programs and a few years ago, when I looked into it, a big part of the football team was taking Film Studies.
 
dressedcheeseside

dressedcheeseside

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,222
Last edited:

GT1992

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
161
dressedcheeseside said:
I just checked, they have 8 guys in the film degree program.
http://www.irishenvy.com/forums/notre-dame-football/273815-football-player-majors-2015-a.html

Like I said earlier, the vast majority of students in the program are regular college student.
Click to expand...

I went through the first three on their roster. What are First Year Studies, Africana Studies, and Pre-Professional Studies? They weren't listed in your link.

Look closer at what the players not named Rudy major in.

http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/nd-m-footbl-mtt.html
 
ATL1

ATL1

Helluva Engineer
Messages
7,377
Africana studies is no cake walk at most schools. It's a legitimate major.

Typical there's a lot of snobbery and buthurt in this post.

A couple of thoughts.

I work with 9th graders at a title 1 school in Dekalb.

Out of 320 freshmen 169 are failing at least one subject. Out of that 169 I would say 85% of them are failing math. (Particularly Algebra)

You can still play a sport despite failing one subject.

They are far behind in math and reading before they step foot on campus.

Many of them desire to go to college. I would say the vast majority, but are pushed into ROTC, technical, community, or out by administration.

Funding is dubious and ever changing, which means no real commitment.

The methodology of how kids are even educated is questionable. Not ever kid learns the same and there is a lot of inflexibility there.

GT does an extremely poor job of marketing and embracing the community in Metro Atlanta. You would barely even know the school exist.
 
awbuzz

awbuzz

Helluva Manager
Staff member
Messages
12,111
Location
Marietta, GA
While in the eyes of God and the Law we are all created equal, we all are not equal on being able to learn or have a home base that appreciates education.

My "swmbo" is a 1st grade teacher at a Title 1 school. She loves teaching. She has many ESOL students and those that are "economically" challenged.
Some of her most exciting moments is when kids improve and "get it", especially those that are "labeled".
If parents are involved and stress education for the child,there is a good chance the child will succeed and at least get through HS. It blows my my mind that there is approximately 20% that don't graduate High School.
Let there be no doubt that her, and her 1st grade team, want their kids/students to do well and set goals for "college".
As ATL1's comments show/infer (at leaset in my mind), many have all but given up and just go through the motions going to school.
"Throwing money" at the "problem" hasn't solved the problem and won't solve the problem. To solve the problem society needs to place emphasis on education (not necessarily college) and that starts at home. (JMO)
 
dressedcheeseside

dressedcheeseside

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,222
GT1992 said:
I went through the first three on their roster. What are First Year Studies, Africana Studies, and Pre-Professional Studies? They weren't listed in your link.

Look closer at what the players not named Rudy major in.

http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/nd-m-footbl-mtt.html
Click to expand...
First year studies was listed in my link, look closer. 23 guys. I think it means undecided but I'm not sure. Don't most Universities allow students a year before making them declare a major? More than 30 of their players are in some business/management related field. Hmmm... sounds familiar....
 
Last edited:
chewybaka

chewybaka

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
909
ATL1 said:
Africana studies is no cake walk at most schools. It's a legitimate major.

Typical there's a lot of snobbery and buthurt in this post.

A couple of thoughts.

I work with 9th graders at a title 1 school in Dekalb.

Out of 320 freshmen 169 are failing at least one subject. Out of that 169 I would say 85% of them are failing math. (Particularly Algebra)

You can still play a sport despite failing one subject.

They are far behind in math and reading before they step foot on campus.

Many of them desire to go to college. I would say the vast majority, but are pushed into ROTC, technical, community, or out by administration.

Funding is dubious and ever changing, which means no real commitment.

The methodology of how kids are even educated is questionable. Not ever kid learns the same and there is a lot of inflexibility there.

GT does an extremely poor job of marketing and embracing the community in Metro Atlanta. You would barely even know the school exist.
Click to expand...
My nephew just started as a freshmen this fall and is participating in a number if outreach community service programs that seem to be really great just not well publized or promoted as even being available for the student population at large ...they seem to be trying ...needs to take hold and expand (mandatory participation should be on the horizon as a core curriculum for graduation....
 

Skeptic

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,372
JacketFromUGA said:
I teach chemistry. That was definitely not the intent. (y)
Click to expand...
Among the things I really like about this board -- some very knowledgeable football people aside (although the skeptic in me asks if they know so much how come they didn't warn us this was coming?) -- are these sort of riffs that are odd little teachable moments about things we, or at least I, never asked much about. That includes core curriculum at various universities, the LA vs. "technical" schooling argument, and other arguments that are carried out in civil discourse with almost everyone open to the suggestion that we just might be wrong. We don't see much of that any more. p.s. just in case, that football people line is a throwaway, you know. (As for chemistry, at least I never had to wonder why I failed the first time around.)
 

GT1992

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
161
dressedcheeseside said:
Here's a nice article for anyone interested in Michigan's "General Studies" degree. Yes, that is not a typo, a college degree in nothing specific. 3% of the entire student body take it as a major yet 49% of the students enrolled in it are athletes. Hmmm.......

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/aca...f/2008/03/athletes_safe_harbor_is_genera.html
Click to expand...

The University of Minnesota had a General Studies program and eliminated it. It was only there to prep students who were deficient and was expensive to maintain. When they had to tighten their belts, it was realized that there were other schools that could serve that purpose.
 
Top