Gary - several things are going on! In my opinion, some of them probably
are:
1. There have always been students who, for a variety of reasons, will
look for an easy way out of serious research. Many are truly overloaded;
some from taking too many courses, some from their other lives (work,
sports, family, partying, etc.), some from inadequate preparation in
previous education, some from taking programs that are really beyond their
capabilities. Old papers, reports, journal articles, etc. have always
been around. Use of the internet is just the latest approach.
2. Survey research is not easy. Further, many faculty may not know how
themselves and/or may not pass their knowledge to their students.
3. Without question, the trend to greater inclusivity and the demand that
colleges retain as many of their enrollees as possible have contributed to
a larger proportion of students that don't really understand what is
wanted in those courses in which rigorous assignments are given. As an
undergraduate, I took a program from a very selective university that
prided itself on only graduating about one-third of those who entered.
Although that school is still very selective, a major aim is to graduate
as many as possible.
4. As always, we have those who are procrastinators and those who
underestimate time requirements.
I can't suggest how you should respond; when I was in industry I did
receive interview requests from outsiders, usually as market research. I
tended to acceed to these requests, but cut short those interviews when it
was clear that the questioner was ill-prepared. A dose of reality would
be appropriate for those students who are obviously very late and/or
poorly prepared. Perhaps a courteous, short, standardized paragraph could
be used to respond to such requests? It could point out what you look for
in such requests, and could be easily called up and inserted as a reply.
Some specific responses interspersed below.
Tim Edlund, Morgan State University
On Fri, 26 Feb 1999, Gary Lear wrote:
> What is going on in current college courses? I have been inundated recently
> by requests from students asking for information for their papers that are
> due "in a few days." It wouldn't be so bad if they were asking very
> specific and well thought out questions, but they have been so broad and
> general, it sounded like they had done no research prior to contact, and
> that they essentially want me to write the paper.
This is clearly inappropriate.
> Asking my opinion, based on my experience, about what I think is the most
> important skill a supervisor needs is one thing, but the last request asked
> what "some of the things a supervisor does and all of the things he/she
> needs to know in order to become one". She also lamented that no one had
> responded to her request. (you should have seen the typos!)
From some students, I get responses like this in class and on
papers. Most don't even seem to understand what is the problem with such
a broadbrush approach.
> Are professors encouraging students to go out and ask busy business people
> such inane questions? What happened to good, old fashioned research and
> formulating a position before asking people questions? And why are current
> students (and many others) so interested in nothing but web sites? Did all
> of the colleges close down their libraries? I begin to wonder if current
> college students even know how to go into a library and conduct proper
> research there, or on the web. I also wonder if our current educational
> system is teaching students how to conduct research and solid analytical
> skills.
All of the above is ample justification for the need for you,
Gary, and for all our other customers, to carefully screen the outputs of
ALL of our schools. The degree, even from the "best" schools, does not
guarantee anything except a certain degree of persistence. That has
always been true to some extent; it is more so now.
>
> Sorry to unload, but 10 requests in 2 days, with only one intelligent and
> specific question, is a bit much!
>
>
> Gary Lear
> President & CEO
>
> Resource Development Systems
> Management & Training Consultants
>
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> Lake City, FL 32056
>
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>