Take an internship in D.C.!

     The University of Texas system partners with former U.S. Representative Bill Archer in the Archer Fellowship Program to provide students the opportunity to attain varying internships. The program also provides classes in subjects ranging from economics to policies.

Ranking World Universities- Helpful or Harmful to Academia?

On October 2^nd, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings were released by Thompson Reuters, listing the most prestigious universities around the world based on education prowess.  Specifically, the universities undergo evaluation based on teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook, which most institutions believe to be their core missions.  The top school on the list is the California Institute of Technology, followed by Harvard University, the University of Oxford, and other highly prestigious universities. 

While some view academic rankings as beneficial to growth for the higher education and university systems globally, others find them to be detrimental to the validity of universities not considered for ranking.  I have been at this university for over two years now, and I am fully aware of the sheer potential this institution has to not only support and educate the students that pass through its doors, but also benefit society as a whole.  However, we are not on the Times Higher Education list, nor do we appear often on other university rankings.  Does this diminish the validity or success of UT Tyler?

Institutions often rank universities not as a whole, but based on different programs or fields of study, creating a new sense of competition for the programs that are low on the list, or not ranked at all.  For example, U.S. News University Directory offers a list of what they deem to be the Top Political Science Schools & Colleges in the United States (which is specific to graduate and doctoral programs).  They also offer a similar list for graduate and doctoral programs in Economics.  While these lists are beneficial for students who wish to have a career in a particular field, the lists are often very similar in rank.  Harvard University is on the top of both of these lists, even though some political scientists or economists would disagree with the list results. 

The main question for most skeptics is this: do these rankings allow for a true evaluation of ALL universities and colleges in the United States, or do they only evaluate a certain group of schools that consistently rank high in academic prowess.  I know that UT Tyler does not have the same student population or net worth as Harvard University, but that should not diminish its potential to educate students, or to provide opportunities for graduate school or doctoral programs after a student graduates.  The calculation of “top schools” seems to include only elite universities with high name recognition, and not often enough do they acknowledge smaller universities with a similar potential for success.

It will be impossible to abandon rankings outright, as the impulse to grade things seems hard-wired into human nature.  They also serve some bureaucratic purpose, since the metrics of performance and decisions regarding resource allocation often stem from these rankings.  The only real concern I hold is that an academic institution like UT Tyler--which does not carry as heavy of name recognition as universities like Harvard, Georgetown, or UT Austin—is not removed from consideration by graduating high school seniors simply because it is deemed “less relevant or competitive” in comparison.  This could create a binary for academia that labels institutions like Harvard as “elite” or “competent,” and considers schools like UT Tyler to be “lesser.” 

Carl Wieman Lectures at the Cowan Center

On Thursday, September 5^th in the Cowan Center, Dr. Carl Wieman visited the UT Tyler campus at the Cowan Center, the first of four in the Cowan Center Distinguished Lecture Series for the school year.  As I discussed previously on this blog, Dr.Carl Wieman won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1995 for his work with the Bose-Einstein condensate, and has since been heavily involved with improving science education in the high school and collegiate levels.

His lecture on Thursday, titled, “How advances in research on learning can dramatically improve science and engineering education", discussed how using “peer instruction” can innovate the instruction of science, math, technology, and engineering (STEM) for high schools and universities.  “Peer instruction” is a pedagogical system originally created by Eric Mazur, in which teachers repeatedly ask multiple-choice questions to a class, and students rely on group discussions to find a collective response.  Wieman discusses that this practice in classrooms allows students to better analyze given questions and scenarios, rather than rely on teacher walkthroughs to understand solutions.  This is a popular standpoint amongst educators, as they wish to move away from the banking method of education, and move toward a collective thought process for better understanding of a given topic.

While the lecture primarily targets STEM classrooms, I was curious as to how this teaching method applies to classrooms with liberal arts topics, such as Political Science, Communication, Journalism, etc.  While the peer instruction method works successfully in technical classrooms, students in liberal arts classes often utilize the banking method to acquire a set amount of information, while avoiding the injection of ideologies in the discussion that may hinder progress in the classroom.  This is a common criticism of class discussions during lectures; it is challenging to teach subjects that are prone to a negative response from someone who holds a conflicting ideology toward the topic.  This is a criticism that Dr. Wieman is working toward solving for these classrooms, so his method of peer instruction can be more applicable to liberal arts classes.

Remember, Dr. Wieman was the first of four lectures that will happen during the school year.  Soon to follow are Katie Couric, Charles Krauthammer, and Robert Edsel.  Check out the Cowan Center website for ticket and date information. Do not miss a great educational opportunity at UT Tyler! 

Getting the Most out of your Tuition at UT Tyler

On August 15^th, Daniel Hopkins, a political scientist and professor at Georgetown University, wrote a piece called “So You Are Starting Your First Year at a Research University…” on The Monkey Cage political science blog.  Hopkins discusses some simple tips for new undergraduate students as they enter into the world of higher education.  The post targets students who are enrolling in research universities, and while UT Tyler technically does not carry this label, the ideas he shares are universal for all new college students.

1) Familiarize yourself with the course catalog 

A few things will occur when you begin to explore your academic interests in a collegiate setting.  Most students enter their first year with the intention of taking classes choosing a major that follows suit with your high school interests.   For example, I was heavily interested in politics and debate in high school, so I assumed that Political Science and Speech Communication were the optimal choices for my majors.  Students who focused on sports and athletic training in high school may believe that Kinesiology or Nursing would be the right path to take.  These decisions are not necessarily wrong, but supplementing them with further research gives the student a better understanding of what their new academic institution has to offer.

Hopkins suggests students to take ample time in reading their course catalog, to get a better understanding of the organization of their particular fields.  No student comes into an academic institution knowing fully of the intricacies of their prospective programs, and having an optimal understanding of how these fields function within their college will push them farther with their academic ambitions.  Hopkins also notes that investigating other fields, particularly those that the student knows the least about, allows the student to learn about the different disciplinary toolkits for improving intellectual process.  He says, “You might really like a subject like European history, but also find that the tools you want to use to make sense of that history are actually those of an anthropologist.  Or a computer scientist.  Or an economist.”

2) Explore different models of academic research      

There is a paragraph in the article I find to be spot on with his overall message:

“In that is also a thought about picking classes, to the extent that first-year requirements leave room for choice.  Good classes convey facts, sure.  But they also convey ways of thinking and ways of learning.  More than the specific facts, it is those ways of thinking and learning that you are likely to retain years later.  So if the instructor of a course thinks about problems in a novel or compelling way, give the course a shot—even if you never imagined taking a class on pre-modern Chinese diets.”

In high school, the model of learning that takes primacy is one that conveys facts onto students that then transfer over to standardized tests and report cards.  The good college classes, as Hopkins says, will use a fact-based learning system, students utilize those facts in context with research papers, final exams, and more standardized tests.  Hopkins is correct regarding what sticks with the students: the methods of research and understanding a certain field of study.  It is not always just about the facts in a vacuum, but rather, how professors and students approach those facts and the way they frame them in a broader academic sense.  Keep this in mind when you choose your major-specific courses.  Even if the targeted content does not peak your interest, the method of evaluating that content just might.

3) Get to know your instructors

You have a good idea of what to expect from your field of study, and you have a framework for choosing classes throughout your undergraduate career.  The next step is simple, and it involves communicating with the instructors and students around you.  Hopkins quotes a study from Harvard professor Richard Light, who concluded that students have a richer college experience when they get to know their instructors better.  This involves taking smaller classes rather than big lecture courses, as well as increasing your critical thinking and sharing your thought process with the professor during their office hours.  You may even ask your professors about their individual research, and offer your services to become more involved.  Along with your professors, speak to your graduate assistants, your fellow classmates, and perhaps even deans and explore their different educational backgrounds and their reasoning for studying their particular fields.  This proves beneficial at the end of your undergraduate when seeking out professors to write letters of recommendation for internships, graduate school, or even entry-level positions pertaining to your degree.  The letter will be more sincere and detailed if the professor knows you well both in and out of class.

Your undergraduate career is the optimal time to explore your academic interests fully, and then apply those tools to a future career.  Try to do so without spending too much on tuition, though.

PS. The Monkey Cage is a great political science blog written by various professors of political science from some of the top political science institutions in the United States, including various guest bloggers from time to time.  Check it out if interested! 

Take Advantage!

Whenever I get the chance, I am going to be buying some new music, the soundtrack to this legit musical called 1789:  Les Amants de la Bastille [The Lovers of Bastille], a French production based on the events of Bastille Day, the French independence day.  Were it not for French courses that I took a few years ago, I would not be able to appreciate and understand the music.  (Now I just have to get over to France so that I can actually see the musical. :D)

Every year, there are an increasing number of ways to experience different cultures, both in class and outside of class at UT Tyler.  Here are just a few of these opportunities:

• Language courses:  By learning a new language, you learn about another culture.  On top of that, you get something awesome to put on your resume; as companies continue to expand around the globe, they want bilingual employees.  Here at UT Tyler, you can study Chinese, French, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish, just to name a few.
• Culture classes:  There are several courses with a multicultural focus, including courses in art, English, history, political science, and sociology. Of course, the best way to learn about other cultures is to experience the culture at it's heart, which is possible through UT Tyler's travel-study courses.
• Multicultural Events: The Cowan Center offers numerous events that students may attend for free.  The GATE program schedules a variety of programs with a global focus throughout the year;  the Jazz Band and the Choir offer periodic performances as well.   Many of our own students get to have their artwork displayed at the Meadows Gallery, which is open to students free of charge.  If those do not pique your interest, then there are also lots of student organizations to participate in to broaden your horizons.

As you can see, there are lots of opportunities to explore the world around you right on your own university; try to take advantage of these opportunities if you can! :)

Cancelled Summer I Class: Tragedy Averted

It's Sunday night. I decide to look at my email to see if my Middle Eastern Politics professor has sent anything out before the first day of class. Instead of a welcome message I received a horrifying display that I only remember saying "CLASS CANCELLED". My heart immediately sinks and springs up into my throat just long enough to censor the many expletives I want to share with my computer screen. See, I really need this class to graduate in the fall.

Afternoons in Israel

Afternoons in Israel

Me with my Pita!!!!!

Most afternoons were filled with adventures in eating and speaking. My adventures in cuisine, I admit, may have been limited to mainly Pita bread but that was only because it was so delicious! I am not sure why I was so obsessed with the idea of stuffing bread full of falafel, shawarma, veggies, and humus, but for some reason I could not get enough! Almost every chance I got I would eat Pitas and Humus. There were a few times I would experiment with other types of food like soups and pastas, but none could measure up to the wonder that is Israeli Pitas!

After these adventures, we would make time for meetings with Israeli professionals. We got to talk with members of Knesset (this is like Israeli Congress), Demographic experts, Terrorism victims, city officials in the Golan, local members of Kibbutz, and military professionals. It gave us the opportunity to ask the questions our questions about the Israeli Palestinian conflict and get an answer from people who are on the front lines of the conflict. We were able to get great answers and honest perspectives from people that we learned to really respect and admire.    

One of my favorite afternoons we got the opportunity to interview the head of the Golan Heights settlements committee. The legend goes “An Israeli woman named Romona wanted a town, so her husband went out and built her one.” Although she denies it, Romona and her husband were the original settlers in the Golan Heights. We were able to discuss the importance of the people that chose to live in the Golan, and how it feels to see a city grow from the very beginning.  I probably honestly liked this meeting because of the appeal of some sort of love story, but I also felt like the people in the Golan were very unique. The members of the committee we met with were candid and personable, at no point did I feel like they tried to dodge our questions, or talk down to us because we were only students. Absolutely a unique experience… it’s like the stuff of legends ya know?

Mornings in Israel

This sign pointed to all of the important places in or around Israel like Jerusalem or Bagdad.

So I spent the majority of my Spring break in Israel. As in that country across the ocean fondly referred to as ‘the Holy land’ not to be confused with the violent place seen on TV. I went with The Center for Global Education on a Political Science study tour. While there my classmates (who later would become my friends) studied the conflict between Israel and Palestine and talked to some crazy influential people; but we will get to all that later. I have been trying to figure out how to break this blog up, which is why it is slightly overdue. I experienced so many things in Israel and I THINK it is all very important, although the truth is some parts could probably be left out. So I am going to inform you on MY VERSION of the Israel trip and you can fill in the gaps and conclude from it whatever you wish. Deal? Deal. I am going to break this into three separate parts. Mornings, Lunch (because let’s face it meals are basically a time of day and this one happens to be my favorite), and Nights in Israel.

MORNINGS IN ISRAEL