The collegiate academic process offers many opportunities for growth, both in and out of the classroom. Academic credit is given to students for the successful, satisfactory completion of work or research that furthers the core academic values of the Institute. Last week, the Student Senate announced through class lists and its website that it is offering students “assistance in gaining academic credit for putting their technical skills to work.” This program is far from inclusive of the student population, and is tantamount to a work-for-hire program where academic credit would be offered as payment. Taking a look at the list available on the Senate’s website, three of the four suggestions require web development skills and all four require some sort of programming skills. The lack of inclusion of projects inclined to students outside the computer-oriented disciplines is, in effect, disenfranchising and limits the students who may wish to be involved.
The concept of offering credit for such work is also offensive to the academic process. Clubs requiring technical work or development in order to further or meet their goals is nothing new. Websites have been developed by the Model Railroad Club, UPAC, RPI TV, and even the Senate itself without academic credit being the driving force behind involvement. The Senate’s assertion that it has “academic credit programs” and describing its pet projects as “course offerings” only serves to demean the true academic learning process that goes on at RPI.
Students have long wanted to and been able to obtain independent studies or incorporate pet projects into coursework for credit, but such offers of credit require a careful vetting process that requires approval from the faculty. The Senate, in offering its projects as credit bearing, is putting the cart before the horse as it can make no guarantee that it can make good on that offer or that such a credit opportunity even exists. There are many good projects from the Senate and other clubs that are worth participating in, but the Senate should always remember that it is a club just like any other and not an academic department.
