I see three advisors every semester and am consistently disappointed by the quality of advisement. My advisors ask me what courses I plan to take, but do not ask about my interests, summer travel, research experience, career aspirations ... you get the picture. USC Connect eliminates much of what should be the responsibility of advisors by facilitating a more holistic approach to learning that demands information on internship opportunities, lectures, clubs and maybe even a fellowship opportunity. The result of USC Connect will be active learners inside and outside of the classroom.
The DG's op-ed railed against the cost of the program, but retraining advisors would disgruntle more faculty and entail much more money, time and effort.
How can we consistently turn out a quality product if students are unable to take advantage of all of the opportunities available to them?
$2.5 million over five years seems to be a paltry sum to invest in the future of 20,000 that could have huge payoffs. USC Connect will not only create the mythical well-rounded student, but the total package.
The process of engaging will raise the value of our degrees and serve students for the rest of their lives. USC Connect's eventual choice of software will centralize information, which would be perfect for off-campus students such as myself who rarely set foot in Russell House.
While it would be great for The Daily Gamecock to publish all of the events taking place on campus in a given day, much less in advance, there's not enough paper to do this. Though I have taken advantage of many of the extracurricular experiences USC offers, I am confident that events of interest to me still take place that I have no knowledge of.
Often, I learn of upcoming events a day or hours prior to it taking place, providing little time to adjust my schedule. A university-wide calendar including dates from student organizations and specific department activities will phase out late notices of events and allow students to engage on many different levels.
The DG and posters in Russell House can hardly alleviate the ignorance of the hundreds of students who go through college life unaware of the opportunities offered by the university. Students connected on any level are still missing out on opportunities that can shift self-awareness and career paths.
An investment in technology that streamlines interests will ensure that more Gamecocks become intentional about their extra-curricular involvement.