It is difficult to overstate the value of $2.5 million to a college student.
When that amount is being taken from our collective pocketbooks to fund a program which essentially does nothing, we’re almost left lost for words.
We’ve heard the same spiel from the university since the program’s origin: It’ll help students get “beyond-the-classroom” experience.
But really, isn’t that what college is — one big beyond-the-classroom experience? We live here, we meet friends here, many of us have jobs, do volunteer work and represent student organizations. By the very nature of being on campus, we’re balancing and incorporating social, academic and professional lives.
USC held a fair to introduce students to faculty. They aren’t available for appointments, right? They probably don’t work here on campus or teach these students’ classes, right?
There’s a new database you can search for internships and opportunities. Cool. That’s one expensive search engine.
We just can’t get over the fact that the university is going to such great lengths to push a program they admitted last year was only really implemented to attain accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools — which would only have required a one-time, $500,000 investment.
USC’s now incorporating it into University-101, giving freshmen — who they seem to think have the mental capacity of kindergartners — popsicle sticks, paper clips and marshmallows, to show (likely for the first time) how the program works.
We’re more concerned about a freshman choking on a popsicle stick than USC Connect being worth it or improving our university experience.